Taswea is Abu Dhabi’s official real estate dispute settlement centre, operating under the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) and established through a formal cooperation agreement between the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and the Department of Municipalities and Transport. Settlements reached through Taswea carry the force of court execution — they are not advisory outcomes. Oplus International Realty recommends that buyers, investors, and landlords operating in Abu Dhabi’s real estate market understand how this centre works before a dispute arises, not after.
What Taswea Is — and What Makes It Different From a Court
Taswea is the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Settlement Centre (تسوية), a specialised body created to resolve real estate disputes through conciliation rather than litigation. The distinction matters. A court issues rulings that one party may contest through an appeals process. Taswea works differently: an approved, oath-sworn conciliator facilitates negotiated settlement between the parties. If both sides agree, an assigned judge ratifies the agreement — and it carries the same enforceability as a court judgment.
This model shortens resolution time, reduces legal costs for both parties, and keeps disputes out of the formal court backlog. It is the Abu Dhabi government’s structured alternative to litigation for real estate conflicts — not an informal mediation service.
The centre operates from three locations across the emirate: Abu Dhabi City (Al Zafaranah, Al Dihan Street), Al Ain City (Al Kuwaitat, City Centre), and the Al Dhafrah Region Municipality.
The Four Goals ADREC Has Set for Taswea
According to the official ADREC site, Taswea operates around four stated goals.
Building investor trust — providing a reliable, neutral platform for real estate dispute resolution, with the aim of attracting and retaining local and foreign investors. Abu Dhabi’s real estate market recorded AED 66 billion in total transaction value across 13,518 deals in Q1 2026 alone, per ADREC’s April 2026 press release. Protecting the interests of parties in a market at this scale requires a dispute infrastructure that investors can rely on.
Flexible dispute resolution — offering an alternative to courts that is interactive, independent, and faster. The conciliation model is designed to be accessible to all parties in a dispute, regardless of whether they are an individual property owner, a corporate developer, or an international investor.
Boosting sector competitiveness — ADREC positions Taswea as part of Abu Dhabi’s broader effort to improve its standing as a global real estate investment destination. A transparent, accessible disputes process is a measurable component of that.
Advancing legislative growth — the centre’s case outcomes are used to identify gaps in existing real estate legislation and feed into procedural development across the sector.
Disputes Taswea Handles — and the Exact Categories
Taswea handles four categories of real estate dispute, as listed on the official ADREC site.
Real Estate Regulations covers leasing of long-term residential and commercial units, marketing and brokerage of real estate units, delays in starting real estate projects, and incomplete real estate developments. This is the category most relevant to off-plan buyers, landlords, and tenants in long-term lease arrangements.
Construction Regulations covers engineering consultation contracts and project development contracts. Parties to a construction advisory agreement or engineering services contract who cannot resolve a dispute bilaterally fall under this category.
Real Estate Distribution covers the distribution of real ownership shares and the distribution of usufruct shares between co-owners. Jointly owned property — whether inherited, co-purchased, or partnership-held — and disputes over how ownership proportions are allocated sit here.
Disassociation and Bequest covers two distinct matters: disassociation from a property (withdrawal from a jointly held ownership) and property bequest matters.
An important limitation: Taswea’s jurisdiction is real estate disputes in Abu Dhabi. Dubai property disputes are handled through separate mechanisms — the RERA-supervised process and the Real Estate Dispute Centre (RDC) under DLD. The conciliation model differs; buyers and investors should not assume a process familiar from Dubai applies in Abu Dhabi.
How the Six-Step Process Works
The full dispute settlement journey at Taswea, as confirmed on the official ADREC portal, runs as follows.
Step 1 — Registration: The claimant registers the dispute with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department through the Enjazi system. The centre’s jurisdiction over the dispute is confirmed at this stage before the case moves forward.
Step 2 — Document review: Taswea reviews the dispute and all submitted documentation.
Step 3 — Conciliator assignment: The case is referred to an ADJD-approved, oath-sworn conciliator, selected according to the nature of the dispute — residential, commercial, or investment.
Step 4 — Settlement session: A session is conducted with all parties. The conciliator works toward an amicable settlement through deliberation.
Step 5 — Court referral if no settlement: If the parties cannot reach agreement, Taswea refers the dispute to the relevant court. The centre’s role ends here; from this point, standard litigation applies.
Step 6 — Enforceable settlement agreement: If the parties do settle, the assigned judge prepares the agreement. This document carries the force of court execution — it can be enforced directly without a separate court order.
The Enjazi system is the entry point. Parties who attempt to contact Taswea directly without first registering through Enjazi will not be able to progress a formal dispute.
How Taswea Compares to Dubai’s Real Estate Dispute Process
Abu Dhabi and Dubai operate separate real estate dispute systems. The practical differences matter to investors operating in both markets.
In Dubai, real estate disputes are handled through RERA (for developer and off-plan matters) and the Real Estate Dispute Centre (RDC) under the Dubai Land Department. Tenancy disputes at a residential level go through the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre. Each body has specific jurisdiction, and filing with the wrong entity can delay a resolution significantly.
In Abu Dhabi, Taswea is the conciliation-first gateway for real estate disputes across residential, commercial, and investment categories. Registration goes through the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department via Enjazi — not through ADREC directly. The Tawtheeq system handles tenancy contract registration in Abu Dhabi, but tenancy-related disputes with a broader legal dimension enter the Taswea process rather than a separate rental-only committee.
The structural difference: Abu Dhabi’s model places conciliation at the mandatory first stage before court referral, across all real estate dispute categories. Dubai’s RDC can issue binding rulings directly, without requiring conciliation first. Neither system is universally faster — the appropriate comparison is case-type specific.
What Taswea Cannot Do
Taswea is not a legal advisory service. It does not issue legal opinions, give guidance on the strength of a claim, or advise parties on whether to pursue a dispute. The conciliators facilitate settlement — they do not represent either party.
Oplus cannot advise on the likely outcome of a real estate dispute or assess whether a specific case falls within Taswea’s jurisdiction. These questions require a licensed legal professional. Buyers and investors who have an active or potential dispute should consult a UAE-qualified lawyer before initiating any formal process. Oplus’s role is market advisory — transactional guidance within the context of Abu Dhabi’s regulated market environment, not legal representation.
Abu Dhabi’s real estate market context is worth understanding before a dispute develops. Oplus covers Abu Dhabi’s regulatory framework in detail in the ADREC complete guide for 2026, and buyers considering property purchases in Abu Dhabi can use that as a starting point for understanding how the broader regulatory environment operates.
How to Contact Taswea
Contact details for the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Settlement Centre, confirmed from the official ADREC website:
- Phone: +971 2 695 5210
- Email: [email protected]
- Abu Dhabi City: Al Zafaranah, Al Dihan Street
- Al Ain City: Al Kuwaitat, City Centre
- Al Dhafrah Region: Al Dhafrah Region Municipality
FAQ
Taswea is a centre operating under ADREC (Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre), but it has a distinct function. ADREC is Abu Dhabi’s broader real estate regulatory authority — it handles property registration, tenancy contracts via Tawtheeq, market data, and licensing. Taswea is ADREC’s dedicated dispute resolution arm, focused specifically on reaching settlements in real estate conflicts through approved conciliators before cases proceed to court.
Taswea does not require legal representation to file or participate in a dispute. However, the process involves your legal rights and financial interests. Consulting a UAE-qualified lawyer before registering through the Enjazi system is advisable, particularly for disputes involving off-plan project delays, large ownership shares, or construction contract failures. The conciliators at Taswea are neutral — they do not advise either party.
If conciliation fails and no settlement is reached between the parties, Taswea refers the dispute to the relevant Abu Dhabi court. The case then follows standard litigation procedure under Abu Dhabi’s judicial system. Taswea’s involvement ends at that referral point.
If both parties reach settlement, an assigned judge prepares the settlement agreement, which carries the force of court execution under Abu Dhabi law. This means it can be enforced directly, without requiring a separate court judgment. The enforceability is a key distinction from informal mediation — a Taswea settlement is legally binding once ratified.
Yes. Taswea’s services are available to all parties involved in real estate disputes in Abu Dhabi — investors, property owners, developers, and other stakeholders — regardless of nationality. Abu Dhabi’s real estate market attracted investors from 99 nationalities in Q1 2026 per ADREC’s official data, and the dispute resolution framework is accessible to all of them.
Taswea covers leasing of long-term real estate units as a confirmed dispute category. Where a tenancy dispute has a broader legal dimension — such as a contested contract, alleged misrepresentation, or connection to a developer-related matter — it may fall within Taswea’s scope. Standard rental disputes between a landlord and tenant may be handled separately. Registering through the Enjazi system allows the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department to confirm the correct jurisdictional pathway for your specific case.
Yes. Taswea operates from three locations across the emirate: Abu Dhabi City (Al Zafaranah, Al Dihan Street), Al Ain City (Al Kuwaitat, City Centre), and the Al Dhafrah Region Municipality. All three locations operate under the same Taswea framework, with access through the Enjazi system.
Enjazi is the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department’s case registration platform. It is the required entry point for registering a dispute with Taswea. The jurisdiction of the centre over the specific dispute is confirmed through the Enjazi process before the case is formally accepted. Parties must register through Enjazi first — Taswea does not accept direct walk-in case registrations without prior Enjazi submission.
Written by: Oplus International Realty Editorial Team
About Oplus: Licensed UAE real estate brokerage based in Abu Dhabi, covering Abu Dhabi and Dubai off-plan, secondary market, and investment properties. RERA registered. oplusrealty.com
Last reviewed: June 2026
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Consult a RERA-licensed professional and a qualified UAE lawyer before any property or dispute decision.
Sources: Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) — official Taswea page: adrec.gov.ae/en/adrec-drc ADREC — Q1 2026 press release (AED 66 billion / 13,518 transactions), April 2026: adrec.gov.ae ADREC — 2025 year-end results (AED 142 billion / 42,814 transactions), January 2026: adrec.gov.ae