Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) and Dubai Courts launched a Virtual Court, a first in the Middle East, to handle labour litigations involving companies operating from the free zone and its employees.
The parties involved in labour litigations can approach the Virtual Court that is equipped with a live broadcast system linked to Dubai Courts and the highest levels of electronic security.
Judges can conduct hearings and adjudicate and access all the details using the electronic link with JAFZA’s digital labour contracts system and other related information to issue their verdicts.
The move follows a cooperation agreement signed between JAFZA and Dubai Courts in 2019 to establish a labour court that uses live broadcasting technology to handle labour litigations involving companies operating from the free zone and its business units.
The Virtual Court, located in JAFZA Building 14, marks the beginning of a new era to facilitate litigation procedures. It is equipped with everything required for the litigation process, like traditional courthouses in Dubai Courts’ headquarters.
The technology-driven Virtual Court is supported by state-of-the-art cybersecurity systems, enabling the judges, lawyers, companies, and litigants to remain connected the entire time.
Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO & Managing Director, DP World – UAE Region and JAFZA said, “People First is our principle at DP World – UAE Region, and all our economic clusters and free zones. It is a value instilled in us by our founding fathers and a key pillar of JAFZA’s organisational excellence as licensing authority and a world-class business hub.
“Thanks to this well-established approach in protecting rights, our system has been recognised by international companies and professionals. This has given JAFZA the reputation of being a model destination for conducting business, with more than 8,500 companies, employing nearly 130,000 people.”
Bin Damithan added: “This achievement would not have been possible without the unlimited support from Dubai Courts, which is a pioneer in the digital transformation of the legal sector. We are confident that this experience, which is the first-of-its-kind in the UAE and the region, will be a unique success story that will be emulated in many free zones across the world.”
More than 8,500 companies from more than 140 countries, employing nearly 130,000 employees can benefit from the services of the smart court.