Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued Resolution No. 28 of 2026 to establish a new Commercial Mediation Centre under the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, aiming to strengthen commercial dispute resolution and support the emirate’s growing business sector.
The resolution was issued by Sheikh Mansour in his capacity as Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.
Under the new resolution, the Commercial Mediation Centre will operate under the financial and administrative umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry while remaining under the supervision of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.
The centre will be headquartered at the chamber’s premises in Abu Dhabi, with the possibility of opening additional branches across the emirate in the future to improve access to its services.
The newly established centre aims to provide a modern and organised framework for resolving commercial disputes through mediation. It will help businesses settle disputes in an amicable, faster and more cost-effective manner compared to lengthy court procedures.
The centre will also work to encourage mediation as an alternative dispute resolution method, while promoting governance, fairness, transparency and integrity in commercial dispute handling through neutral and flexible procedures.
According to the resolution, the centre will handle disputes through court-referred mediation, consensual mediation between parties and other alternative dispute resolution methods. It will also offer mediation services for both local and international commercial disputes in line with UAE laws and the procedures agreed upon by the involved parties.
The resolution further states that settlement agreements reached through the mediation centre will be approved by a supervising judge. Once ratified, these agreements will carry the legal force of an executory instrument and can be directly enforced under the UAE Federal Civil Procedures Law.
The move is expected to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading business and investment destination by offering companies faster and more efficient commercial dispute resolution services.
