Property disputes between real estate developers and investors in the United Arab Emirates have increased since the financial crisis crippled the country’s property market. Dubai’s property court has already recorded 833 dispute cases in the first six months of this year. Analysts told Executive they believe numerous cases have not reached the courts yet, and with the continuing recession, the number is likely to increase in the coming months. Little or no confidence The rise in the number of disputes stems mainly from Dubai’s property values decreasing and the sudden lack of credit and investors, which caused many projects to be put on hold or canceled. As a result, investors’ confidence in the market plunged and they started questioning if the projects would actually be delivered. Jim Delkousis, partner and the head of mitigation and arbitration at the law firm DLA Piper, said these disputes are a catch 22: Investors
