In this episode of The Arbitration Acumen Podcast, J.P. Duffy interviews Robert Stephen, registrar of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), about the Centre’s growth, internationalization and recent innovations. They discuss DIAC’s expanding caseload, its increasingly global profile, the 2022 rules overhaul and new features like expedited and emergency arbitration. Robert also previews DIAC’s upcoming 2025 digital case management system, aimed at enhancing efficiency and accessibility for users worldwide.
Episode Highlights
[01:45] DIAC’s Expanding Reach: Robert explains that DIAC has seen steady growth over the past five years, becoming the largest and only fully independent arbitration institution in the MENA region. In 2023, DIAC registered 355 cases, a 4.4 percent increase from the previous year, including 323 administered arbitrations, one mediation and 31 appointing authority cases.
[5:30] From Local to Global: More than half of DIAC’s 2024 cases were international in nature. Robert attributes this shift to geopolitical changes, growing regional business activity and improved methods of assessing party nationalities. Once seen as a domestic center, DIAC now serves an increasingly global clientele from the UK, United States, Saudi Arabia, India, China and Russia.
[13:45] Evolving Case Types: While infrastructure and construction disputes still account for roughly 25–35 percent of cases, DIAC has seen a surge in banking, finance, crypto, logistics, energy, technology and healthcare disputes. This diversification mirrors the UAE’s economic expansion and DIAC’s efforts to attract cases from across industries.
[18:10] Modern Rules for a Modern Era: The 2022 DIAC Arbitration Rules introduced global best practices, including a default seat in the DIFC for greater legal certainty, virtual hearings and electronic awards post-COVID, third-party funding disclosure requirements and expedited and emergency arbitration procedures. [28:20] Looking Ahead: Digital Transformation: Robert outlines DIAC’s 2025 priority: launching a new digital case management system developed with Opus 2, alongside a new website. The system will streamline filings, payments and document exchanges in a secure online environment, setting the stage for future integration of AI tools and furthering DIAC’s goal of becoming a top-five global.
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The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of their institutions or clients.
