Dubai – 25 September 2026
International arbitration firm Three Crowns is expanding its presence in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) with the appointment of Amani Khalifa as a partner at its Dubai office, effective 1 January 2027.
Khalifa joins Three Crowns from Freshfields, where she led the firm’s Saudi Arabia disputes practice. She specialises in international arbitration and has advised on complex disputes across the Middle East, with particular experience in construction and infrastructure, as well as energy, transport and sports. Her work includes matters involving major projects and cross-border commercial activities.
Her appointment adds senior expertise to Three Crowns’ growing arbitration practice in DIFC. International arbitration can be particularly relevant to businesses involved in cross-border investments, commercial agreements and major infrastructure projects, where disputes may involve multiple countries and legal jurisdictions. Khalifa’s experience therefore complements the firm’s focus on advising corporations and States on complex international disputes across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
For the wider DIFC business community, the appointment is part of the continued growth of specialist professional services within the financial centre. Businesses operating internationally can require access to legal and dispute-resolution expertise alongside financial, consulting and other professional services. Three Crowns’ expansion adds to this professional-services ecosystem rather than representing a direct change to DIFC’s operations or regulations.
The appointment also follows the recent expansion of Three Crowns’ DIFC operation. The firm opened its DIFC office in January 2026 and moved to larger premises within the financial centre in September as its team expanded. The office is located at Burj Daman, Level 7, Office 703.
Three Crowns said Khalifa’s construction and infrastructure expertise will support the firm’s ambition to build a specialist team handling significant disputes in the region. Her arrival also strengthens the firm’s regional offering at a time when major infrastructure and investment activity continues to create demand for specialist international arbitration services.
Khalifa is qualified in Egypt, England and Wales, and New York, and speaks Arabic and English. She also serves as a Judge of the Bahrain Court of Cassation and is a member of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
The move represents another step in Three Crowns’ development in DIFC, combining the expansion of its local office with additional senior expertise in international arbitration and disputes affecting businesses and major projects across the region.
