“We are setting out to establish a court with a strong reputation, and we hope that doing so will lead people outside of the DIFC to look at using us to try cases and settling throughout the region,” says Evans.

However, political and sovereignty issues will have to be overcome.

“Whether cases from elsewhere in the region could be tried at the DIFC courts, is a political issue,” says Evans. “But we plan to operate so that we would be an attractive destination for cases from jurisdictions outside the DIFC.”

Evans was speaking as DIFC courts announced that it had completed recruiting staff and had moved into the court building.