The Experts, Conciliators and Mediators Affairs Committee at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department accredited 61 new private mediators specialising in civil and commercial disputes during a recent meeting chaired by Counsellor Yousef Saeed Al Abri, the department’s undersecretary. According to the Emirates News Agency, the mediators completed accredited training at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Academy before their registration in the official roster. The expansion forms part of sustained efforts to provide faster and more flexible alternatives to traditional court proceedings while maintaining high professional standards.
These latest accreditations add to previous batches approved throughout 2026, including 49 in May and 26 in June, as the department incrementally builds its pool of qualified professionals. The new mediators will handle cases with an emphasis on negotiation and consensual outcomes that can be ratified into enforceable agreements. Their involvement is expected to help ease pressures on the court system by diverting suitable matters into private mediation channels.
ADJD figures show that the department completed 5,690 cases through mediation and conciliation in the first half of 2026, an increase of 15 percent compared with the corresponding period the previous year.[[1]](https://www.uaebarq.ae/en/2026/08/24/abu-dhabi-judicial-department-processes-447000-electronic-requests-in-h1-2026/) In the first quarter alone, 2,825 cases were resolved by these means, up 14 percent year on year. The performance indicators also recorded substantial growth in related digital services, with more than 447,000 electronic requests processed during the same six-month period.
Earlier statistics from the department placed the value of amicable settlements reached in the first half of 2024 at Dh443 million across 1,234 commercial, real estate and consumer disputes. Such outcomes have contributed to preserving commercial relationships and minimising litigation expenses for businesses operating in the emirate. The department has similarly achieved high amicable resolution rates in family matters, settling 61.3 percent of 15,667 disputes presented to guidance committees in 2023 without referral to court.
The initiative supports Abu Dhabi’s wider judicial modernisation, which has included expanded use of remote hearings and smart enforcement tools. Private mediation offers confidentiality alongside legally binding results once approved by a supervising judge under federal civil procedure rules. Counsellor Al Abri has previously noted that qualified mediators play a central role in enhancing the emirate’s standing on global justice and competitiveness indices.
Applicants for mediator registration must meet criteria that include holding a recognised law degree, demonstrating good conduct and completing the specialised academy programme. The committee reviews applications from both individuals and licensed entities to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. This structured approach has enabled consistent growth in the number of available mediators over successive committee meetings.
