Is arbitration confidential in the UAE?

Confidentiality is one of arbitration's main attractions compared with public court litigation, and the UAE framework supports it. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2018, arbitration proceedings are generally private, and the law provides that the award is not to be published without the parties' consent, which protects sensitive commercial information from becoming public. Many institutional rules, including those of UAE centres, reinforce confidentiality obligations covering the existence of the arbitration, the submissions, the evidence, and the award. That said, confidentiality is not absolute: information may have to be disclosed where the law requires it, or where a party needs to go to court, for example to seek ratification, enforcement, or annulment of an award, since court proceedings have their own transparency rules. Parties who want strong protection often add an express confidentiality clause spelling out exactly what is covered and the carve-outs. Because the precise scope depends on your seat, rules, and contract wording, it is worth confirming. You can compare verified UAE arbitration professionals on LEXAI to tailor confidentiality protection.