DP World, the world’s fourth biggest port operator, has reiterated its right of ownership of Doraleh Terminal in Djibouti, and warned companies intending to build or operate more port facilities in the African country of legal action.
In February, the Djiboutian authorities took control of the Doraleh terminal from a DP World-owned joint venture entity that designed, built and operated the terminal after winning the concession in 2006.
The concession agreement gave DP World "exclusive rights" to build and operate any other container ports and free zones in Djibouti, DP world said in a public notice placed in newspapers and online portals across Africa. However, there have been reports that the government of Djibouti is contracting with other companies in violation of DP World's exclusivity rights, it noted.
Djibouti is in talks with French shipping company CMA CGM to develop a new container terminal at an initial cost of $660 million, Aboubakar Omar Hadi, chairman of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zone Authority (DPFZA), told Reuters in March.
“Take notice that DP World and DCT [joint venture company] are the lawful holders of rights in respect of the ownership and operation of the container shipping terminal at Doraleh, Djibouti, and will pursue all available legal recourse,” DP World said in the public notice. The measures include “claims for damages, against any other entities that tortuously interfere or otherwise violate their rights with respect to the concession agreement,” it said.
The Nasdaq Dubai-listed port operator has already commenced arbitration proceedings before the London Court of International Arbitration to protect its rights, or to secure damages and compensation for breach or expropriation, it said in its February 23 statement.
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Read more:
DP World wins 30-year concession for Congo deepwater port amid Africa expansion push
DP World says no material effects from Djibouti terminal seizure as UAE expresses support
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The company said the concession agreement was recently upheld as a valid and binding contract under English law by a tribunal of arbitrators of the London Court of International Arbitration. The tribunal rejected the Djibouti government’s attempt to rescind the agreement based on false allegations of corruption.
The UAE Government has already denounced the “arbitrary” move by Djibouti. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, called it “regrettable” on Twitter in February, saying “agreements, commitments and reassurances didn’t hold up to arbitrary measures against DP World”.
DP world last month denied that it had received an offer from Djibouti to buy its 33 per cent stake in the terminal after Mr Hadi told Reuters that the country is prepared to buy DP World’s stake in the Doraleh terminal.
“Contrary to recent newspaper reports, the government of Djibouti have not offered to buy our 33 per cent shareholding in Doraleh Container Terminal,” a DP World spokesman said in a March 29 statement.
Besides Djibouti, DP World faces hurdles in its operations in Somaliland, a semi-autonomous region in northern Somalia. Earlier this month, Somalia’s Lower House voted to reject a deal by Somaliland and DP World to grant a stake in the Port of Berbera to Ethiopia, aggravating a row between the central government in Mogadishu and Somaliland.
However, despite the headwinds it is facing in Africa, DP World continues to expand in the continent. It won a 30-year concession to develop a $1 billion deep-water port along the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Atlantic coast in March. DP World will get a 70 per cent stake and the DRC government keeps a 30 per cent holding in the project. Construction will start this year and finish in two years.
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
STAGE 4 RESULTS
1 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 4:51:51
2 David Dekker (NED) Team Jumbo-Visma
3 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
4 Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis
5 Matteo Moschetti (ITA) Trek-Segafredo
General Classification
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 12:50:21
2 Adam Yates (GBR) Teamn Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:43
3 Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:03
4 Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:43
5 Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
