A. The DIFC Courts have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine: 1. Civil or commercial and employment claims and applications by or against the DIFC Bodies or DIFC Establishments and those to which DIFC Bodies or DIFC Establishments are party; 2. Civil or commercial and employment claims and applications arising from or related to contracts, whether concluded, completed, or performed, wholly or partly, within the DIFC, or which will be or should be performed, wholly or partly, within the DIFC, as expressly provided in such contracts; 3. Civil or commercial and employment claims and applications, arising out of or related to any incident or transaction relevant to the DIFC Bodies or DIFC Establishments, their own activities, or those related to the activities of the employees in any of them, that take place, wholly or partly, within the DIFC; 4. Claims and applications arising out of or related to trust instruments established or registered in the DIFC and non-Muslim Wills which are registered with the DIFC Courts; 5. Claims and applications for the ratification or recognition of Arbitral Awards, in accordance with the Arbitration Law in force within the DIFC. 6. Claims and applications arising from or related to any arbitration procedures where: i. the seat or legal place of arbitration is the DIFC; ii. arbitral proceedings take place within the DIFC, and the parties have not agreed on the seat or legal place of arbitration; or iii. the parties agree to the DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction for disputes arising out of arbitration proceedings. 7. Claims and applications over which the DIFC Courts have jurisdiction under the DIFC Laws, DIFC Regulations, and the legislation in force in the Emirate, as well as any international treaty and convention to which the State has acceded or is a party to. B. The DIFC Courts have jurisdiction to hear and determine civil and commercial claims and applications, where the parties expressly agree in writing to the DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction, whether before or after the dispute arises, provided that such agreement is made pursuant to specific, clear and express provisions. C. The DIFC Courts may decline jurisdiction to hear the following proceedings: 1. Claims falling within the jurisdiction of the DIFC Courts but where the parties have agreed in writing to the jurisdiction of another court; 2. Claims in which a final judgement has been issued by any other court and can be enforced within the DIFC.
Interpretation and application must be checked against the official text and current version.