UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DIFC Courts’ judge promotes UAE as international business hub

THE DIFC Courts, the UAE’s English-language common law judicial system based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), have been strongly represented at the recent ‘GCC in the City’, a financial forum in London.

 

The event was organised by the Middle East business magazine MEED, in conjunction with the UK’s Middle East Association. Sir Anthony Colman, former head of the UK’s Commercial Court and the DIFC Courts’ deputy chief justice, explained the Courts’ expanding regional role in providing enforceable judgments by internationally-recognised judges. He appeared on the first panel of the day entitled ‘Placing the GCC in a Wider Economic Context’.

 

The financial forum was attended by key stakeholders from both the GCC and the City of London, including Gulf-based government-related entities, project lenders and borrowers, investment banks, institutional investors, Islamic finance specialists, private equity firms, credit rating agencies and lawyers. The delegates were given an in-depth overview of the latest Gulf investment opportunities and regulatory developments.

Sir Colman said, “Representing the DIFC Courts at such an authoritative event, in the heartland of world finance, has provided an excellent opportunity to explain our unique English-language common law system and the increasing case load.”

 

“I briefed the 150 delegates on how weoffer swift, independent justice to settle local and international commercial or civil disputes – and enforce the resulting judgments,” he added.

 

Stefan Kemball, DIFC Courts’ head of communications, expressed, “At this event we have seen considerable interest in our services from the City and from other Gulf States. The forum has provided us with the perfect platform to showcase our capabilities to a global audience.”