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Research Articles

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Issue 1/2025

THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF JUDICIAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE UAE AND GCC COUNTRIES

Published
December 9, 2025

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: This article examines how the UAE's justice sector has adopted digital transformation to enhance, primarily, the efficiency and accessibility of its judicial system. While the United Arab Emirates has positioned itself as a regional leader in this area, it is drawing on international best practices. We have tried to investigate how the UAE’s adoption of electronic justice experience aligns with global trends in judicial modernization. In this context, the judicial transformation serves not only as a governmental asset but also as a legal implication due to its process, data security, and procedural integrity.  The purpose of the study is to discover the digital transformation of the UAE as a case study, comparing it with digital legal assets in the world and specifically the Gulf region. This analysis will provide the basis for discussions on technology-driven legal reform and offer guidance for policymakers to integrate technological innovation within the UAE's legal system in the digital era.

Methods: This article uses qualitative, descriptive-analytical methods to examine the digital transformation of the justice system in the United Arab Emirates and its implications. This study primarily relies on the analysis of secondary sources, including official government publications, peer-reviewed legal scholarship, policy documents, and comparative legal data.

Results and Conclusions: The main findings demonstrate that the digitalization of the judicial system is progressing rapidly across the UAE, serving as a regional benchmark for GCC countries. However, due to the unique legal practices and jurisdictional nature in the Middle East, it hits a few benchmarks that differentiate it from the rest of the world. While the legal system in the country serves the united idea within the governmental structure, digitalization brings about its implications.

The article's conclusions emphasize that successful judicial digital transformation in the United Arab Emirates is achievable through the active participation of the government and a united approach that aligns with the requirements of the local society. The author suggests that centralizing the human-empathetic and inclusive judicial system is necessary. Training among the judges, prosecutors, and judicial bodies is required for the country to align with a digital system that evolves ahead of people's understanding.

 

 

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