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The Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department Solidifies its Regional and International Leadership in Mediation Skills for 2025 Through Training Programs and Institutional Partnerships

Through Training Programs and Institutional Partnerships

23 June 2026

The Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department has released its latest periodic report, revealing that 2025 marked the graduation of four new cohorts from its Certified Mediators Training Programme. The milestone was achieved through a strategic partnership with the International Mediation Institute (IMI) and the European Mediation Centre, one of Europe's largest and most prominent institutions specializing in civil and commercial dispute mediation. A total of 82 trainees successfully met the programme's requirements, representing a 9.3% increase over 2024 and accumulating a combined 3,520 training hours.

Effective Partnership

The Department highlighted that since the programme's inception in 2022 through the end of 2025, a total of 307 trainees have graduated, representing an aggregate of 13,195 training hours delivered by the Department. Upon successfully completing the program, participants earned international accreditation from the International Mediation Institute (IMI) as qualified civil and commercial dispute mediators. Notably, public sector personnel accounted for 247 of these graduates, surpassing 80% of the total, significantly embedding a culture of amicable settlement across the government ecosystem.

The report highlighted that the Department stands as the sole entity across the Arab region and North Africa to boast 18 certified mediators at the highest global professional level. This milestone is directly reflected in the continuous advancement of mediation skills and techniques within the Department's amicable settlement team. Operating in line with premier international standards and practices, the entire team has now achieved a 100% international accreditation rate as civil and commercial dispute mediators by the International Mediation Institute (IMI).

Dubai International Mediation Centre

Building on its ongoing collaboration with the International Mediation Institute (IMI) and leveraging its prestigious 7-star rating in the Dubai Government Excellence Programme (DGEP) benchmarking framework concluded in 2025, the Department has finalized the groundwork to establish the Dubai International Mediation Centre. This milestone culminated in an approval by the Executive Council, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. Classified as one of the hallmark strategic projects approved by the Executive Council in 2025, the Centre stands as the first of its kind in the region to secure international accreditation. It is set to deliver pioneering, specialized services in dispute prevention and amicable resolution, including dispute mediation, alongside world-class training and qualification programmes.

Mandatory Course

As part of its commitment to advancing the Emirate's legal sectors, the Department has integrated civil and commercial mediation advocacy training into the Continuing Legal Professional Development (CLPD) programme for all registered legal consultants in Dubai. This initiative comes as part of its ongoing efforts to qualify and train practicing legal consultants registered with the Department.

To renew their registration to practice and provide legal services in the Emirate, legal consultants are required to complete 16 training hours annually. This includes eight mandatory hours in subjects determined by the Department, and another eight hours covering topics selected by the legal consultant from external training providers accredited by the Department. In this context, the Department has integrated mediation advocacy skills into the mandatory training track. This milestone establishes the Department as the first regulatory body globally to embed such training into compulsory qualification programs for practicing lawyers and legal consultants, with 2,999 professionals benefiting from the initiative in 2025.

International Presence

The report also highlighted the Department's participation as a keynote speaker at numerous local and international forums. These engagements aimed to raise awareness within the business community regarding dispute mediation and how to leverage it as an effective mechanism to ensure business continuity and growth. Prominent among these initiatives were specialized workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions delivered by the Department to officials at JAMS, the premier US-based provider and global leader in mediation services.

Furthermore, through its long-standing partnership with the International Mediation Institute (IMI), the Department successfully drove a global consensus on elevating the role of institutional mediation within the public sector. This collaboration culminated in the establishment of the IMI Public Policy Committee, with the Department joining as a founding member. Within this framework, the Department chairs a specialized subcommittee dedicated to promoting mediation in disputes involving government entities. This mandate is carried out through comprehensive, cross-continental studies mapping public sector mediation practices, regardless of their initial scope, alongside targeted surveys and research conducted with international stakeholders. Ultimately, these efforts aim to architect a comparative global model modeled after the Department's pioneering experience, equipping governments worldwide with the strategic methodologies and tools needed to confidently adopt mediation.

Global Competitiveness

His Excellency Dr. Lowai Mohamed Belhoul, Director General of the Department, emphasized that the Department has championed the civil and commercial mediation training initiative since 2022. This project directly supports the delivery of the Dubai Plan's strategic priorities and advances the Emirate's vision for alternative dispute resolution (ADR) by elevating mediation as a premier mechanism for amicable settlements.

His Excellency noted that the Department has established a robust operational framework centered on capacity building and skill development. This framework equips legal professionals with the specialized tools required to resolve conflicts with the highest levels of integrity, reliability, and transparency, while actively cultivating a culture of mediation among businesses and the wider community. Furthermore, the Department delivers dispute prevention and amicable resolution services aligned with premier international standards. By transforming its pioneered framework into an internationally benchmarked leading practice, backed by comprehensive comparative studies, surveys, and research, the Department aims to assist other governments worldwide in adopting this model, ultimately bolstering the standing of Dubai and the UAE in global competitiveness indicators.

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The aim of this Policy is to outline Library membership and borrowing rules.

Requirements for Membership:

Provide Employee ID card.
The Library does not accept any other ID for proof of identity, as membership is specific to employees of H.H. The Ruler's Court and affiliated departments.
Library members may use its services within the limitations and guidelines set out by this and other Library policies.

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Request materials for reading inside the library.
Access online resources provided by the Library.
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Take full responsibility for all activities and transactions associated with their membership accounts.
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Member information will only be used for the purposes of providing Library services and will not be given out to third parties except as required by law.
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Borrowing Rules:

Library members may borrow books as follows:

Loan Period	Item Limit
15 days renewed once unless the item is on hold by another user.	2

An item may not be transferred from one borrower to another, and no person may borrow on behalf of another.

Items that cannot be borrowed

Journals
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Books borrowed can be renewed once either by using the means of communication approved by the Government of Dubai (Teams and E-mail) or by returning the book to the Library, unless the material is on hold by another member, recalled or if the account is suspended due to overdue items.

The renewal period for borrowed materials is 15 days.

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Items will be considered damaged due to the following:

Pages are washed out and content is not readable.
Pages are torn.
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Members are responsible for damage to the items they borrow and will be charged the replacement cost, according to publishers' prices.

If there is no price quoted for the damaged item in the Library database, members must pay the market price determined by the Library.

Members may replace damaged items with a new item with the same title, author, edition and publisher.

Our Latest News

The Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department Solidifies its Regional and International Leadership in Mediation Skills for 2025 Through Training Programs and Institutional Partnerships

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2,464,827

Number of Visitors

Our Latest News

The Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department Solidifies its Regional and International Leadership in Mediation Skills for 2025 Through Training Programs and Institutional Partnerships

About Us​

Services

2,464,827

Number of Visitors

About Us