New Delhi (ABC Live): Global trade is steadily shifting east, and systems of justice are moving with it. Over the past three years, India–UAE trade has nearly doubled, rising from US $43.3 billion in FY 2020–21 to US $83.7 billion in FY 2023–24. Notably, non-oil trade reached US$57.8 billion, reflecting how rapidly the economic partnership is expanding. As commerce grows, so do cross-border disagreements, creating a clear need for faster and more reliable mechanisms of dispute resolution.

At the same time, Dubai has emerged as one of the world’s most trusted arbitration seats. The Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) handled 355 cases in 2023, including 323 arbitrations involving parties from 49 countries, with claims exceeding AED 5.5 billion (≈ US $1.5 billion).

In India, GIFT City, Gandhinagar, is home to the Gandhinagar Arbitration & Mediation Foundation (GAMF), a not-for-profit company establishing the Gandhinagar International Mediation & Arbitration Centre (GIM&AC). This centre is being built as a world-class facility, integrating the Blockchain-based Record Authentication System 2.0 (BRAS 2.0) for secure digital evidence and inspired by Gandhian principles of truth, transparency, and service.

Dubai–India arbitration corridor

Together, if Dubai and India can lay the foundation for a seamless “Arbitration Corridor” connecting DIAC and GIM&AC. Both jurisdictions are guided by the UNCITRAL Model Law, ensuring procedural harmony and mutual recognition of due process. Furthermore, each is embedding digital infrastructure into its dispute resolution systems: Dubai through the DIFC Blockchain Court and India through BRAS 2.0, which authenticates records and awards on a tamper-proof ledger. Once these frameworks are interconnected, filings, hearings, and enforcement could take place in a fully digital environment, offering unmatched speed and transparency.

Crucially, both countries are also signatories to the New York Convention 1958, which governs the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. A reciprocal enforcement protocol under the India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) could therefore eliminate existing procedural frictions and make awards issued in either jurisdiction directly executable in the other. This synergy of law, technology, and trade policy positions Dubai and India to lead the shift of global arbitration eastward, serving not only their bilateral commerce but also the wider Asia–Africa–Middle East trade corridor.

The Architecture of the Dubai–India Arbitration Corridor

The Dubai–India Arbitration Corridor is not a vision built on rhetoric—it rests on four solid pillars: legal alignment, institutional strength, digital innovation, and enforceability. Together, these elements form the backbone of what could soon become the most credible arbitration network east of Suez.

1. Legal Alignment: Common Foundations, Shared Standards

Both India and the UAE are rooted in UNCITRAL-based arbitration frameworks—the UAE under its Federal Arbitration Law (2018) and India under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act (1996). This shared foundation ensures consistency in due process, tribunal composition, and recognition of awards.
Moreover, both nations are signatories to the 1958 New York Convention, which governs the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards across 170 countries. The only missing step is India’s formal reciprocity notification recognising the UAE as a territory for direct enforcement—a policy measure currently under discussion through the CEPA legal-cooperation channel. Once adopted, it will close the last procedural gap.

2. Institutional Strength: DIAC × GIM&AC

The Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) has already matured into a global player. Its 2023 Annual Report recorded 355 cases, including 323 arbitrations, involving parties from 49 jurisdictions and a total disputed value exceeding AED 5.5 billion (≈ US $1.5 billion).
DIAC’s updated 2022 Rules introduced digital filings, emergency arbitration, and online hearings, aligning it with top-tier standards such as LCIA and SIAC.

Meanwhile, India’s Gandhinagar International Mediation & Arbitration Centre (GIM&AC), under the Gandhinagar Arbitration & Mediation Foundation (GAMF), is being designed as a world-class, not-for-profit institution within GIFT City’s International Financial Services Centre. Supervised by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), it will operate under a new rulebook released by IFSCA’s Expert Committee (2024)—one that mirrors the DIAC 2022 framework and integrates blockchain evidence tools.

3. Digital Innovation: From Blockchain Courts to BRAS 2.0

The corridor’s technological edge will come from interoperability between Dubai’s DIFC Blockchain Court and India’s Blockchain-based Record Authentication System ( BRAS 2.0 ).
Dubai’s system already records judgments and orders on distributed ledgers, ensuring data integrity and instant access for enforcement. BRAS 2.0, on the other hand, authenticates evidence and arbitral awards in India under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, India’s new Evidence Act.
When linked, these tools can enable cross-border verification of awards, eliminating forgery risks and making arbitration proceedings fully digital, transparent, and secure.

4. Enforceability: From CEPA to Cross-Recognition

The legal-tech integration gains real meaning only if awards move freely between the two jurisdictions.
Under CEPA 2022, both governments already maintain mechanisms for resolving trade and investment disputes. Adding a formal arbitration protocol—recognizing DIAC and GIM&AC awards reciprocally—would make enforcement almost automatic.
Such an annexe would not only help Indian and Emirati firms but also attract multinational companies operating across Asia, Africa, and the Gulf, giving them a reliable dispute-resolution ecosystem closer to their operational base.

Data-Driven Insights: Trade, Caseloads, and the Economic Logic for “Arbitration East”

The Dubai–India arbitration partnership is backed not by speculation but by tangible numbers. Each dataset—whether from government trade reports or institutional caseloads—confirms that the demand for regional arbitration is real, rising, and ready to be served east of London.

1. Trade Expansion Creates Dispute Volume

Source: Ministry of Commerce & Industry (India); PIB Trade Performance Release (18 Feb 2025)

Interpretation:
Trade between India and the UAE has nearly doubled in three years. Even if just 0.1 % of this trade becomes contested annually, that still represents ≈ US$80 million in potential arbitration claims—a solid commercial foundation for a dedicated Dubai–Gandhinagar corridor.

2. Institutional Supply: DIAC’s Proven Capacity

Source: DIAC Annual Report 2023; GAR 100 Data Report (2025)

Interpretation:
DIAC’s caseload grew by 54 % between 2020 and 2023, while its disputed value rose by ≈ 34 %. This trajectory shows institutional maturity and the ability to absorb 100 – 150 India-linked cases per year once the corridor becomes operational.

3. India’s Institutional Readiness

The IFSCA Expert Committee (2024) has made recommendations regarding expedited timelines, emergency arbitrators, and digital case management, and the Gandhinagar Arbitration & Mediation Foundation (GAMF), a not-for-profit entity, readiness to administer these proceedings through the Gandhinagar International Mediation & Arbitration Centre (GIM&AC), making a practical case for the Dubai-India Arbitration Corridor. This institutional model mirrors global best practice while offering cost efficiency (estimated 30–40 % cheaper than London or Singapore).

4. Technology & Enforcement Indicators

Sources: DIFC Courts; IFSCA Report 2024; UNCITRAL; Bar & Bench Commentary on India-UAE Reciprocity

Interpretation:
Technology provides speed, while legal symmetry ensures enforceability. Once reciprocity under Section 44 of India’s Arbitration Act is formalised, awards issued in Dubai or GIFT City can circulate freely—turning the corridor from a concept into a working system.

5. The Economic Case for “Arbitration East”

• Lower cost: Arbitration in Dubai or GIFT City averages 6–8 % of claim value, compared to 12–15 % in London.

• Faster timeline: Digital case management can cut proceedings from 18–24 months → 9–14 months.

• Regional access: Within 3–4 hours’ flight time for most Asian, African, and Middle-Eastern corporates—reducing overheads and carbon footprint alike.

• Trust factor: Both systems are now recognised by GAR 2025 and IFSCA 2024 for procedural quality and tech adoption.

Conclusion of Section:

The numbers converge on one reality: economic gravity has already shifted east. By institutionalising legal cooperation and digital interoperability, Dubai and India can match Western seats in credibility while outpacing them in cost and accessibility. This is not merely about new geography—it is about creating a new standard for efficiency and inclusivity in global arbitration.

Why This Transformation Matters for the Global South

1. Rebalancing the Geography of Justice

For decades, London, Paris, and Singapore have dominated international arbitration. Yet, the Global South now generates over 55 per cent of world GDP in PPP terms and more than half of global trade volumes. The UAE and India sit at this crossroads—bridging Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
By building a shared arbitration corridor, they offer emerging economies a seat of justice closer to home, reducing dependency on Western legal infrastructure. This shift strengthens regional autonomy while still adhering to global norms such as the New York Convention and UNCITRAL Model Law.

2. Democratizing Access to Arbitration

Traditional arbitration seats remain expensive and intimidating for small and mid-sized companies. Proceedings in London or Singapore can consume 12–15 per cent of the claim’s value in legal costs.
By contrast, Dubai and GIFT City can deliver the same enforceable outcomes at roughly 6–8 per cent of claim value. Combined with digital filings and remote hearings, the corridor opens arbitration to MSMEs, startups, and cross-border investors who were previously priced out of the process.

3. Driving Legal Innovation through Technology

Both hubs are pioneering blockchain-integrated justice systems:

• Dubai’s DIFC Court secures judgments and case records on a distributed ledger.

• India’s BRAS 2.0 System authenticates documents and arbitral awards under the new Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023.
  When interoperable, these tools can deliver tamper-proof, instantly verifiable digital awards—positioning the Global South at the frontier of “law-tech” convergence.

4. Advancing Trade Security and Investor Confidence

According to UN ESCAP and World Bank data, unresolved contract disputes reduce bilateral trade efficiency by up to 2 per cent of GDP annually. The Dubai–India arbitration corridor can directly mitigate that risk by ensuring speedy, enforceable, and regionally credible settlements.
This certainty will boost investor confidence under CEPA and across new trade blocs such as I2U2 (India–Israel–UAE–US) and BRICS Plus, which are seeking neutral, rule-based dispute mechanisms outside traditional Western systems.

5. Shaping a Model for the Global South

The Dubai–India partnership is not only bilateral; it is demonstrative. Once operational, it can serve as a template for replication in Africa, ASEAN, and Latin America—regions that share similar development trajectories.
Its fusion of cost efficiency, digital governance, and cross-border enforceability can redefine how the Global South handles commercial disputes in its own time zone and cultural context.

Conclusion — The Eastward Shift Becomes Real

Global arbitration is no longer confined to the West’s legal capitals. With rising trade, digital justice systems, and aligned legal frameworks, Dubai and India have both the incentive and the infrastructure to lead.
Their collaboration under CEPA, supported by DIAC’s experience and GIFT City’s innovation, represents more than a policy experiment—it marks the first real institutional bridge for Global South arbitration.
If implemented as planned, this corridor will not just transform where arbitration happens; it will transform who it serves, how fast it delivers, and how transparently it operates.

Verified References

1. DIAC Annual Report 2023 — Dubai International Arbitration Centre
2. GAR 100 Data Report (2025) — Dubai Media Office Release
3. India–UAE CEPA Official Text — Ministry of Commerce, Government of India
4. PIB Press Release (18 Feb 2025) — Performance of India–UAE Trade (PIB India)
5. IFSCA Expert Committee Report (2024) — IFSCA Official Publication
6. Bar & Bench (2024) — “Time for Reciprocity: Why India Should Recognise UAE for Enforcement of Arbitral Awards” (barandbench.com)
7. DIFC Blockchain Court Announcement — DIFC Courts Official Site

Also, Read

Explained: Dubai Arbitration Week 2025’s Global Impact

 Takeaway:

As law, trade, and technology converge, the Dubai–India partnership is transforming global arbitration from a Western preserve into a truly multipolar system—efficient, enforceable, and accessible to the Global South.

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