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Dubai is seeking to enhance its position as a maritime hub by setting up the new Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre (EMAC), the first of its kind in the Middle East. The facility, operated under the aegis of the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), aims to address and resolve maritime disputes through arbitration, based on established legal frameworks, regulatory guidelines and standards.
Amer Ali, DMCA executive director, says EMAC will aim to resolve maritime disputes quickly. This will include matters relating to affreightment, cargo shipping, shipbuilding and repair, ships sales, assurance and reinsurance, collisions and other disputes related to marine loss adjusting.” This new initiative is expected to strengthen investor and stakeholder trust in Dubai’s maritime system, which at the same time will raise the competitiveness of the local maritime industry,” he adds.
The initiative reflects the emirate of Dubai’s commitment to develop an integrated legal environment for the maritime sector. H.E. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DMCA president, believes EMAC will help raise investor trust and confidence. “The presence of a maritime-based arbitration panel will play a major role in attracting more ship-owners to Dubai. This can lead to enhanced integration, coordination and harmonization of vital economic sectors like maritime insurance, national courts, aviation, hospitality, banking, finance, public and private judicial systems and other sectors,” he says.
EMAC’s operations will be based on recognized legal systems and there will be ‘absolute freedom’ in choosing litigation laws and arbitration mechanisms, says DMCA. There will also be a wide range of legal options available to help resolve disputes relating to maritime commercial operations in the emirate, the authority promises.
