Pillar I · Corporate
DIFC mudaraba financing structure.
English principles · Centre of finance
— Centre of finance
Dubai International Financial Centre.
A federally-established financial free zone operating under a body of law modelled on English common law principles. Its courts are independent of the federal judiciary; its financial regulator, the DFSA, maintains recognition arrangements with the principal international counterparts.
IIIThe Gate · DIFC, DubaiI · About this jurisdiction§ DIFC Law No. 9 of 2004
The DIFC sits at the junction of international capital and UAE jurisdiction.
Established by federal decree in 2004, the DIFC is a financial free zone in central Dubai operating under a body of law modelled on English common law principles. Unlike ADGM, English law does not apply directly. Rather, DIFC has enacted a substantial corpus of its own legislation drawing on, and adapting from, the common law tradition. Its courts are independent of the federal judiciary, conduct proceedings in English, and are widely regarded for their commercial expertise. The DFSA regulates financial-services activity within the zone under a framework that maintains recognition arrangements with the principal international counterparts; corporate, foundation, and trust matters fall to the DIFC Registrar of Companies and the DIFC Authority.
Our DIFC practice serves clients with cross-border or institutional requirements that benefit from a common-law forum: Sharia-compliant financing structures, DIFC foundation establishment and governance, and corporate-secretarial mandates for entities that require independent oversight. Where the matter is contentious, the DIFC Courts offer a procedural environment that is, in substance and in feel, that of a Commercial Court familiar to international counsel.
“DIFC is the jurisdiction in which international capital meets the federation. The work is to ensure the structures we draft are coherent in both registers, and that they hold under both.”
— Jurisdiction III · DIFC
TierDIFC Courts
3tiers.
Court of Appeal · CFI · Small Claims Tribunal
English-language; DFSA-supervised in financial services
Forum electionOpt-in jurisdiction
Elective.
Parties without a DIFC nexus may submit to the DIFC Courts by agreement
Dubai Law No. 12 of 2004 (as amended)
II · Court structureDIFC
- iCourt of Appeal[DIFC-CA] · Final tier.
- iiCourt of First Instance[DIFC-CFI] · Commercial; Technology and Construction.
- iiiSmall Claims Tribunal[SCT] · Claims under AED 500,000.
III · Our work · in this jurisdiction§ Sample mandates · 2023–26
Pillar I · Corporate
DIFC foundation establishment and governance.
Pillar I · Corporate
Corporate-secretarial mandate for an institutional entity.
— Engaging counsel on a DIFC matter
Initial discussions are conducted without obligation.
Whether the work concerns a financing structure, foundation governance, corporate-secretarial oversight, or a contentious matter before the DIFC Courts, we will assess the regulatory and structural considerations, set out the available routes, and advise on the most effective course.