A Guide to the DIAC Arbitration Rules: Why Dubai's First Rule-by-Rule Commentary Matters Now
In January 2026, the Dubai International Arbitration Centre went live with "DANA by DIAC" — a new digital platform for e-filing, case registration, and document submission, following an earlier partnership with legal-technology provider Opus 2 for virtual hearings and shared case files. Construction and real estate disputes still account for roughly 60% of DIAC's caseload, and with the Centre now administering close to 5,000 cases since inception, Dubai has cemented itself as the region's default seat.
None of that changes the substance of the 2022 DIAC Arbitration Rules that govern how those cases are actually run — and until now there was no dedicated commentary on them. A Guide to the DIAC Arbitration Rules by Faris Nasrallah and Gordon Blanke fills that gap directly, walking through every Article and appendix in order, from the DIAC's institutional organs through joinder, consolidation, tribunal formation, awards, and the exceptional procedures for emergency relief.
In practice, the book earns its place on three shelves at once: drafting an arbitration clause for a Dubai-facing contract, where knowing exactly how the DIAC's default rules operate changes what a party should carve out or amend; advising in an active DIAC-administered proceeding, where the article-by-article structure lets counsel move straight to the provision in dispute; and teaching or writing on Gulf arbitration, where it is now the standing reference on the 2022 Rules.
For a law library serving international arbitration or Middle East practice students, it is also a natural companion to broader texts on the institutional arbitration collection — the first title specifically on DIAC procedure to sit alongside general international arbitration references.
CLNZ Books ships this title worldwide, with invoicing available for institutional and library orders.
Q&A
Q: Why is DIAC procedure attracting more attention in 2026?
A: DIAC launched its DANA e-filing platform in January 2026 and continues to administer the majority of Dubai-seated arbitrations, with construction and real estate disputes driving much of the caseload.
Q: Is there an existing commentary on the 2022 DIAC Rules?
A: Until this book, no — it is the first published rule-by-rule commentary on the DIAC's revised 2022 Arbitration Rules.
Q: Does the book cover emergency and expedited relief under the DIAC Rules?
A: Yes, Chapter 10 addresses the exceptional procedures in Appendix II, including emergency arbitrator relief.
Q: Who wrote A Guide to the DIAC Arbitration Rules?
A: Faris Nasrallah and Gordon Blanke, both experienced in Dubai-seated and DIAC-administered arbitration.
Q: Where can I buy A Guide to the DIAC Arbitration Rules?
A: Through CLNZ Books, with worldwide shipping and institutional invoicing available.