Dubai rental disputes resolved faster as Maktoum bin Mohammed reviews judicial performance

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, and Chairman of the Dubai Judicial Council, has reviewed the performance of Dubai’s judicial institutions and progress in enhancing judicial services. His Highness reviewed the action plan of the Dubai Judicial Expertise Centre, judicial performance indicators of the Rental Disputes Centre (RDC), and the operational results of the Judicial Police since it assumed its executive mandate. The review forms part of His Highness’s ongoing oversight of the Judicial Authority and efforts to further develop Dubai’s judicial system and enhance its efficiency. Reinforcing the rule of law His Highness Sheikh Maktoum said: “Guided by the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we continue to develop Dubai’s judicial system to uphold the rule of law, safeguard rights and strengthen confidence in judicial institutions. These efforts contribute to Dubai’s competitiveness and reinforce its global standing as a preferred destination to live, work and invest.” His Highness commended the results achieved across key areas of judicial work and stressed the importance of continuously improving services, strengthening coordination between judicial institutions and supporting entities, and developing performance measurement systems based on accurate indicators. He also highlighted the importance of developing human capabilities and harnessing advanced technologies to expedite dispute resolution, ensure the accuracy of judicial rulings and their effective enforcement, and further strengthen Dubai’s position as a global model for judicial excellence and swift justice. His Highness called for building on the progress achieved and continuing to develop judicial procedures in line with Dubai’s rapid growth, the evolving needs of the community and business sector, and future developments. Advancing judicial expertise services His Highness reviewed the Dubai Judicial Expertise Centre’s action plan and its progress since commencing operations on 15 August 2026. Key milestones include ensuring continuity of services, finalising regulatory frameworks governing the Centre’s Board of Directors and its technical and expertise committees, and coordinating with strategic partners to enhance operations and service delivery. The action plan includes developing the Centre’s digital system to manage operations and services through a centralised portal for receiving and processing requests. It also provides for greater digital integration with relevant judicial entities, the use of artificial intelligence to enhance service delivery, and the development of a comprehensive system to monitor performance and measure progress. Rental dispute resolution times fall His Highness also reviewed the Rental Disputes Centre’s judicial performance indicators from January to 29 September 2026, which showed significant improvements in the speed of dispute resolution while maintaining high levels of accuracy in judicial rulings. At the First Instance Committees, the average time to resolve cases from the date of the first hearing fell from 19.6 days in 2025 to 14 days during the reporting period in 2026. The average time from case registration to resolution also declined, from 36.7 days to 27 days. The Appellate Committees recorded similar improvements. The average time to resolve cases from the first hearing fell from 27.8 days to 12 days, while the average time from registration to resolution dropped from 46.8 days to 23 days. The rate of appellate cases resolved relative to those registered during the reporting period reached 94.8%, exceeding the 90% target. Judicial Police operations His Highness was also briefed on the operational results of the Judicial Police, which assumed its executive mandate on 1 July 2026 under a joint initiative between Dubai’s judicial entities and Dubai Police to strengthen direct coordination and accelerate the enforcement of judicial rulings and decisions. During its first two months of operations, the Judicial Police recorded a 19.2% reduction in the number of individuals wanted under arrest-and-bring orders. His Highness also reviewed the expansion of the Judicial Police’s responsibilities to include compulsory enforcement, implementation of child visitation and custody handover decisions, judicial coordination and other related duties.