RDC Stimulates Unprecedented Transformation In Rental And Jointly Owned Property Disputes
Dubai’s judicial system is experiencing significant and sustained advancements, marked by consistently improving performance efficiency. These strides are a direct result of the commitment and dedicated oversight of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, and Chairman of the Dubai Judicial Council, who has been instrumental in driving the adoption of cutting-edge technologies within the judicial sector.
Furthermore, he has actively supported the development of exceptional competencies within the sector by approving the appointment and promotion of new judges, including those serving in the Rental Disputes Center in Dubai.
Over the past decade, the Rental Disputes Center (RDC), the judicial arm of Dubai Land Department (DLD), has embarked on a transformative path to improve the effectiveness of its resolution system for rental and jointly owned real property disputes. This journey has led to a groundbreaking development – the introduction of ‘Metaverse Litigation,’ a pioneering virtual platform that leverages metaverse technology to conduct real estate litigation sessions.
Additionally, the RDC has introduced the ‘Judicial Probe’ service, a novel concept that represents a fully integrated court utilising AI to provide a comprehensive range of litigation services, marking a significant innovation in the legal landscape.
This qualitative development in developing litigation procedures and methods at RDC is aligned with its strategic vision aimed to be the global judicial benchmark in resolving rental and jointly owned property disputes through a digital and innovative judicial system characterised by speed and accuracy to support sustainability.
Judge Abdulqader Mousa, Chairman of the Rental Disputes Center, Dubai: “At the RDC, we are dedicated to staying at the forefront of the ever-evolving digital landscape in Dubai as a testament to the visionary leadership that has positioned Dubai as a global hub for the digital economy and a significant player in the global digital ecosystem. Today, we are witnessing a pioneering transformation in the realm of litigation and rental dispute resolution, with our proactive initiatives aimed at attaining leadership and delivering a customer experience aligned with the highest global standards and practices.”
This progress is evident in the RDC’s achievements regarding the number of cases and their settlement rate, with a remarkable 96% of registered cases successfully resolved.
RDC has made significant strides in the precision of litigation and the resolution of rental disputes. The litigation accuracy rate saw substantial improvement, rising from 90% in 2021 to 93% in 2022 and 100% in 2023. This notable progress is also reflected in the efficiency of the litigation process, with an average duration of 15 days for primary case resolutions and 14 days for appeal case resolutions.
These cases constitute only 14% of the total number of registered lease contracts with the Dubai Land Department during the same period, which exceeds 750,000 lease contracts. RDC succeeded in resolving 11,320 agreements amicably, with a total value of AED 14.7 billion; the average duration of conciliation in dispute cases reached six days.
The RDC also implemented a digital integration plan, successfully integrating with 10 local and federal government entities, including the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai Police, the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, the Dubai Land Department, The Department of Economy & Tourism, the Courts of Dubai, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and Emaratech.
Speed enforcement of judgements and decisions
As for the enforcement of judgements, RDC employs a distinctive approach to guarantee prompt execution and the restoration of rights. This encompasses securing executive writ stamp, electronic requests, and leveraging the Tebyan platform for digital integration. In 2013, the average time taken to execute rental judgments and decisions was 10 days. By transitioning execution services into digital offerings within a unified platform, the average duration for executing rental judgments and decisions in 2023 has been drastically reduced to a mere two days, showcasing an impressive 99% rate of execution speed.
RDC launched many digital systems and initiatives since its establishment, consistent with its vision and strategic objectives, including:
– The Rental Disputes System (2015): The world’s first smart judicial rental system specialised in managing rental cases and the complete automation of services through a 100% transition to paperless services.
– The Smart Judge application (2016): the world’s first smart application for judicial advice, which has received 192,758 consultations since 2017.
– The ‘Yad Al Khair [Hand of Giving] Committee (2017) is considered the first committee to support and assist eligible groups and communities in the UAE affected by rental lawsuits. Since its launch, the committee has succeeded in extending a helping hand to more than 1,478 beneficiaries with a value of AED 48 million.
– The remote litigation system (2018): this is the first judicial court that successfully facilitated the litigation process without needing personal attendance.
– The Rental Good Conduct Certificate (2018): This service enables parties involved in a rental contract to enquire about the rental record of either party in the RDC system. It also allows issuing a certificate of the previous rental case writs.
– Disputes related to jointly owned property: Following the issuance of Law No. 6 of 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, regarding jointly owned property in Dubai, RDC was assigned to consider and settle all disputes and conflicts related to rights and obligations concerning jointly owned property. Consequently, the Center/RDC simplified procedures and streamlined the customer journey by implementing a mechanism that makes payment notifications executable without needing to file a demand claim. As a result, the execution period is limited to one working day.
– Launching the ‘Metaverse Litigation (2023): a groundbreaking virtual platform was developed to offer a distinctive and innovative approach to resolving rental disputes, delivering a better experience to all stakeholders.
– Activating the ‘Judicial Probe’ service (2023): This groundbreaking concept constitutes an integrated court that harnesses the power of AI to offer the complete portfolio of the RDC’s litigation services. Through this system, a litigant can initiate a case, such as filing an eviction case due to non-payment of rent, and receive a ruling within minutes, all without judicial intervention.
– Launching the official website with a new interface (2023): The RDC officially launched its website with a redesigned interface, showcasing its prominent digital services to enhance the overall user experience for stakeholders.
