Federal Decree No. (85) of 2026, issued by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on 8 June 2026 and published in the Official Gazette, formally approves the UAE's accession to the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation - the Singapore Convention.The UAE is joining the Convention with two permitted reservations: it won't apply to settlement agreements involving the UAE government or its agencies, and it will apply only where the parties to the settlement agreement have agreed to its application.Under the Convention's own terms, it enters into force for the UAE six months after the instrument of accession is deposited with the UN Secretary-General - so the new enforcement regime is coming, but it is not in effect yet.Once in force:• Where the parties have agreed to the Convention's application, a mediated settlement of an international commercial dispute can be enforced in UAE courts without relitigating the merits or converting it into a judgment or arbitral award, subject to the Convention's limited grounds for refusal• The Convention applies to settlement agreements concluded after it enters into force for the UAE