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Compliance in the UAE · Corporate and Commercial

ADGM Courts Real Property Division: What that Means for Property Disputes

29 October 2025 · Aeron Abraham Thomas and Jerome Jose · 4 min read

On 17 October 2025, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Courts established a Real Property Division within the Court of First Instance. The move, supported by updates to the Divisions and Jurisdiction Rules and new practice directions and court forms, streamlines how property disputes are handled in ADGM in light of the ADGM’s expansion to Al Reem Island.  

It marks a major step toward a more centralised, efficient, and modern framework for resolving real property matters under the Real Property Regulations (2024) and related laws. The establishment of the Real Property Division comes as ADGM expands its jurisdiction to Al Reem Island, bringing a significant increase in real-estate activity and property ownership. The reform ensures that the growing volume and complexity of property disputes within ADGM are handled through a specialised and streamlined judicial process. 

This blog is a part of our ADGM’s Expansion to Al Reem Island Blogpost.

What was Introduced 

  • The Divisions and Jurisdiction (Court of First Instance) Rules were amended to formally establish the Real Property Division (the “Division”) and assign to it claims arising under key real-estate instruments, including the Real Property Regulations 2024, the Off-Plan Development Regulations 2024, the Strata Title Regulations 2015, and the Registration of Future Interest Regulations 2024. The updated rules also clarify the Division’s scope of jurisdiction, confirming that matters such as family and personal status proceedings remain outside its remit. 
  • The ADGM Courts reissued a suite of Practice Directions which includes Practice Direction 15 (Real Property Claims) along with related procedural forms to guide the handling of property disputes within the new Division. These directions outline the procedures, case allocation framework, and filing requirements for real-property claims. New claim forms were introduced, such as CFI-1A for general real-property claims and CFI-1B for short-term residential lease claims, accompanied by an updated fees schedule, all taking effect from 17 October 2025. 

 

Why the Change Matters in Practice 

Specialization:  

Real property disputes in ADGM will be heard by judges and court officers with expertise in property-specific regulations, including real property, off-plan development, strata, and registration of future interests. This specialised focus is expected to enhance consistency, accuracy, and predictability in judicial outcomes. 

Tailored Procedures: 

Practice Direction 15, the new court forms and fee structure are designed specifically for property-related cases. They streamline key procedural stages such as case initiation, directions questionnaires, disclosure, and valuation issues, which are often central to property litigation. This reduces procedural friction and improves efficiency for parties involved. 

Alignment with the Real Property Regulations 2024:  

The Division’s establishment is closely linked to the Real Property Regulations 2024, meaning practitioners must read the revised Divisions Rules in tandem with these regulations when assessing jurisdiction, remedies, and registration-related disputes. This integration ensures a coherent and comprehensive framework for resolving property matters within.

 

ADGM Immediate steps for practitioners and parties 

  1. Check jurisdiction: Before filing, confirm whether the dispute falls within the Division’s allocated subject-matter (real property, off-plan, strata, registration of future interests). 
  2. Use the new forms and follow Practice Direction 15: filings should follow the updated CFI forms and Practice Directions effective 17 October 2025 to avoid procedural rejections or delay.  
  3. Prepare for valuation and specialist evidence: expect focused case management on valuation, title/registration issues and reports from surveyors/valuers given the Division’s specialised remit.  

 

Specialised Framework for Resolving Realty Disputes

The establishment of the Real Property Division marks a major procedural and structural advancement in how property disputes are managed within the ADGM Courts. By aligning the Divisions Rules, Practice Directions, and claim forms with the Real Property Regulations 2024, ADGM has introduced a coherent and specialised framework for resolving the growing volume of real estate and development-related disputes in the fastest growing free zone in the region. 

This reform comes at a crucial time as ADGM expanded its jurisdiction to Al Reem Island, bringing with it a significant increase in real-estate transactions, development projects, and ownership structures. The dedicated Division is designed to absorb and efficiently manage this anticipated surge in property-related litigation, ensuring that disputes arising from the Al Reem Island are resolved consistently, efficiently, and in line with ADGM’s modern regulatory framework. 

Parties and counsel should immediately adapt their filing and case management practices to reflect the changes effective 17 October 2025, ensuring compliance with the updated procedural regime and jurisdictional framework of the new Division. 

Part of ATB Legal’s Regulatory & Compliance practice.

Aeron Abraham Thomas

Aeron Abraham Thomas was a Junior Associate at ATB Legal, where he worked on litigation and arbitration matters across ADGM, DIFC and UAE mainland jurisdictions. He is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be University), Pune.

Jerome Jose

Jerome is an Associate at ATB Legal with a primary focus on civil and commercial litigation and arbitration. In litigation, he primarily works within the ADGM and DIFC legal frameworks and is actively involved in representing clients in high-stakes disputes, supporting the firm’s oral advocacy team on matters involving complex contractual and corporate issues across various sectors. His arbitration practice encompasses representation in proceedings before the ICC, DIAC, and ArbitrateAD.In addition, Jerome provides assistance and strategic advisory in UAE onshore/mainland court proceedings, addressing a broad range of contentious matters including civil and criminal cases, enforcement of arbitration awards, debt recovery and restructuring, banking and finance, real estate, employment, inheritance, and other personal status disputes across all onshore courts in the UAE.Prior to joining ATB Legal, Jerome trained with prominent law firms and advocate offices in the UAE and India, gaining hands-on experience in both contentious and non-contentious matters. This includes training with esteemed practitioners before various High Courts in India, as well as a judicial internship at the Supreme Court of India. Jerome’s background encompasses exposure to complex cross-border dispute resolution, high-stakes arbitration proceedings, and advisory mandates on complex civil and commercial law issues.