UAE Approves Accession to Singapore Convention on Mediated Cross-Border Settlements

The UAE has approved accession to the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, known as the Singapore Convention, through Federal Decree No. 85 of 2026, according to legal analysis from law firm Clyde & Co. The treaty establishes a cross-border legal mechanism enabling qualifying international commercial settlement agreements resulting from mediation to be recognized and directly enforced by domestic courts.

The convention will enter into force in the UAE six months after the formal deposit of the instrument of accession with the UN Secretary-General. The convention applies to written settlement agreements that resolve international commercial disputes, while explicitly excluding consumer, family, inheritance, and employment disputes, as well as agreements already enforceable as court judgments or arbitral awards.

The UAE has adopted two reservations permitted under Article 8 of the convention. Under Decree 85/2026, the convention will not apply to settlement agreements involving the State, its governmental bodies, or persons acting on their behalf. Additionally, the convention will only apply where parties have expressly agreed to opt in and apply the framework to their settlement agreement.

To enforce an eligible agreement, a party must present the signed settlement and evidence showing it resulted from mediation, such as the mediator's signature or attestation from the administering mediation institution. Clyde & Co notes that domestic procedural regulations or amendments may be required to establish clear enforcement processes in local courts before the regime becomes fully operational.