Do Dubai Courts Accept English Translations?

Short answer: it depends on which court. Dubai Courts and all UAE mainland courts operate in Arabic - no exceptions. English documents must be translated into Arabic with MOJ-certified translation before the court will accept them. But DIFC and ADGM are different jurisdictions entirely, and they operate in English.

We get this question weekly, usually from someone holding an English-language contract or judgment who has just been told they need to file something in court. The confusion is understandable - Dubai has multiple legal systems running in parallel, each with its own language rules.

Dubai Courts and Mainland Courts - Arabic Only

Dubai Courts operate under UAE Federal Civil Law. The judge speaks Arabic. The court reporter types in Arabic. Every document in the case file - contracts, evidence, expert reports, witness statements - must be in Arabic or accompanied by an MOJ-certified Arabic translation.

This applies across all mainland courts in the UAE, not just Dubai. Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), Sharjah Courts, and every other emirate’s mainland court system follows the same rule. If the document is not in Arabic, it does not exist as far as the court is concerned.

The certification requirement is not optional or flexible. We have seen filings rejected because the translation carried a company stamp instead of an individual MOJ translator’s stamp. The court clerk checks before the document enters the file.

DIFC Courts - English Common Law in Dubai

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) operates its own court system under English common law. DIFC Courts conduct proceedings in English. Documents in English are accepted directly - no translation required for the DIFC filing itself.

This makes DIFC the exception that confuses everyone. People assume “Dubai court” means one thing, but DIFC Courts and Dubai Courts are entirely separate systems with different judges, different procedural rules, and different language requirements.

The catch comes at enforcement. If you win a judgment in DIFC Courts and need to enforce it through the Dubai mainland courts - which is common when the losing party’s assets sit outside the DIFC - the entire judgment and all supporting documents must be translated into Arabic by an MOJ-licensed translator. If those documents were originally issued abroad, they may also need attestation before the mainland court will accept them. The English-language proceeding was fine for DIFC. Enforcement is a different jurisdiction.

ADGM Courts - English Rules for Dubai-Linked Enforcement

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) mirrors the DIFC structure. It operates its own court system under English common law, with proceedings conducted in English. The same enforcement caveat applies: if an ADGM judgment needs enforcement through the Abu Dhabi mainland courts (ADJD), MOJ-certified Arabic translation is required.

Which Certification Tier Does Each Court Need in Dubai?

Here is the practical breakdown by forum:

• Dubai Courts (mainland): MOJ-certified Arabic translation required for every non-Arabic document. No alternatives accepted.
• ADJD (Abu Dhabi mainland): Same as Dubai Courts - MOJ-certified Arabic translation required.
• DIFC Courts: English documents accepted as-is. Arabic documents may need certified English translation. Enforcement through mainland courts requires MOJ-certified Arabic translation of the judgment.
• ADGM Courts: Same as DIFC - English accepted directly, but mainland enforcement requires MOJ-certified Arabic translation.
• Arbitration (DIAC, ICC, LCIA-DIFC): Language depends on the arbitration clause. Multi-language proceedings are common. Enforcement of arbitral awards through mainland courts requires MOJ-certified Arabic translation.

Common Scenarios We Handle in Dubai

Most of the work we see falls into a few patterns:

Filing English contracts in Dubai Courts. A commercial dispute where the underlying agreement is in English. The entire contract - sometimes 50+ pages with annexes - needs MOJ-certified Arabic translation before the claim can be filed.

Enforcing DIFC judgments in Dubai Courts. The DIFC proceeding was in English. Now the judgment, order, and supporting evidence need to go through the execution court on the mainland side. Full MOJ-certified Arabic translation of everything.

Cross-border evidence. Documents from foreign courts or foreign corporate entities, already in English, being submitted as evidence in UAE mainland proceedings. Translation plus, in many cases, attestation of the original before translation.

Dual-filing. Parallel proceedings where the same documents need to be filed in both DIFC and Dubai Courts. We prepare a single Arabic translation package that serves the mainland filing, since DIFC accepts the English originals directly. If a party does not speak the language of either court, court interpretation is arranged alongside the translation work.

Need certified legal translation? Arkan provides MOJ-certified legal translation under License #701 with route-check included. Get a quote on WhatsApp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Check Your Documents Before Filing in Dubai

Not sure whether your documents need MOJ-certified translation for the forum you are filing in? Use our document check tool to find out what your specific documents require - including the certification tier and any additional attestation steps. For more on court language rules and certification tiers, see our FAQ page.