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Will registrations at the DIFC Courts rose 22 percent to 2,220 in 2025, while probate applications increased from 30 to 41. A new DIFC Courts Mediation Service Centre gives consenting parties a route to negotiate an agreement on the central issues before separate asset-transfer and enforcement requirements are addressed across jurisdictions.
For many international families, an estate involving Dubai is not confined to Dubai. An international estate may involve assets governed by different local procedures, from Dubai property to accounts or company interests overseas. If the beneficiaries disagree, resolving the estate can require advice or proceedings in more than one jurisdiction, each with its own formalities, timetable and costs. Mediation was already available within the DIFC Courts framework, but the 2025 law gave it a dedicated institutional home.
Putting the New Route Into Practice
The development has already entered professional guidance. In June 2026, Lexis Middle East published an updated practice note on wills, probate and mediation under Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025, authored by Clotilde Iaia Polak, Managing Partner of Yungo Legal Consultancy. Dual-qualified as an Italian avvocato and a solicitor of England and Wales, Iaia Polak advises international families whose estates may involve both UAE and European legal systems.
What the New Law Built
Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025, issued in March by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, rebuilt the legislative framework of the DIFC Courts and provided for a Mediation Centre within them. The Mediation Service Centre Rules took effect on 15 August 2025, and the Centre was publicly launched on 2 September under a resolution issued by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as President of the DIFC. The new Centre provides a defined application process, a panel of mediators, a fee structure and an electronic route alongside the Courts’ litigation services. It accepts electronic applications, allows parties to select a registered mediator or nominate another mediator, and supports online or in-person sessions. The rules allow a party to refer a dispute without a pre-existing mediation agreement, but mediation remains a consensual process.
Under Article 30 of the new law, a signed settlement approved by the Mediation Centre, or ratified during proceedings, moves beyond a private compromise. The important addition is that such a settlement qualifies as an enforcement writ under DIFC Courts law. Where enforcement is required against assets outside the DIFC, the DIFC Courts may seek assistance from the Dubai Courts under the applicable enforcement procedure. Probate claims involving DIFC-registered wills are already handled by the DIFC Courts. The new Centre places a dedicated mediation service alongside that jurisdiction, creating a clearer route through which suitable estate disputes may be negotiated before or during proceedings.
A Growing Registry and Rising Probate Activity
Use of the DIFC Wills Service is growing quickly, although probate applications remain modest in absolute terms. The Service registered 2,220 wills in 2025, up 22 percent, while probate applications increased from 30 to 41. The first half of 2026 added a further 1,925 registrations, taking the registry past 14,300 wills since inception. A growing registry increases the number of estates that may eventually require probate, and some may generate disputes between executors, beneficiaries or other interested parties.
Separate wealth and property indicators show the wider environment in which cross-border estate planning is expanding. Henley & Partners projected that the UAE would record a net inflow of approximately 9,800 millionaires in 2025, defined as individuals holding at least USD 1 million in liquid investable wealth, placing it first among the destinations assessed in its report. Dubai recorded more than 270,000 property transactions worth AED 917 billion in 2025, according to the Dubai Land Department, while its investor base included approximately 129,600 new investors.
What Mediation Cannot Do
The route has honest limits. Mediation cannot proceed if a necessary party refuses to participate, and allegations involving the validity of a will, forgery or capacity may still require formal evidence and judicial determination. Some probate disputes can be compromised, but the court may still need to approve the outcome or make the necessary probate order. A settlement approved through the Mediation Centre or ratified by the DIFC Courts does not by itself transfer a flat in Milan or release an account in London, since each foreign asset remains subject to its local transfer and enforcement requirements.
Dubai has not removed litigation from international inheritance disputes. It has created a more formal route through which willing parties can try to agree the central issues before moving through the separate procedures required for each asset. As the number of DIFC-registered wills continues to grow, the practical test will be whether families use that route early enough to prevent a disagreement from becoming several parallel disputes.
