DP World holds London arbitration awards against Djibouti over the government’s 2018 seizure of the Doraleh Container Terminal, and says about $685M remains unpaid. A September 2025 award found the seizure unlawful but gave no damages against the state port company. On July 24, 2026, the Commercial Court in London granted a rival award creditor a final charging order over about $41.6M held in the terminal company’s name.
Latest development Jul 24, 2026
On July 24, 2026, Picken J in the Commercial Court in London granted Soprim Construction a final charging order over about $41.6M held at Standard Chartered in the name of Doraleh Container Terminal SA (DCT). He held that the money was held on trust for Djibouti and rejected DP World’s objections.
Why it matters
The dispute tests whether Djibouti’s other creditors can reach funds held in the name of the terminal joint venture while control of that company is contested. The outcome affects DP World’s recovery of about $685M in awards it says remain unpaid.
Background
In 2006, DP World and the Republic of Djibouti agreed a concession for the Doraleh Container Terminal. The terminal company, Doraleh Container Terminal SA (DCT), is a joint venture in which DP World holds one third alongside the state port company, Port de Djibouti SA (PDSA). On February 20, 2018, DP World Djibouti FZCO and DCT started arbitration at the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) to confirm that the concession remained in force. On February 22, 2018, the government ended the concession and took over the terminal under a 2017 law on strategic infrastructure. DP World later brought a separate LCIA claim against PDSA.
LCIA tribunals held the concession valid and binding in July 2018 and awarded DCT about $485.7M plus interest in 2019. In January 2022, sole arbitrator Zachary Douglas awarded about $200.8M in damages for the government’s failure to restore DP World’s rights. On July 23, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia confirmed that award. In a separate case, sole arbitrator Maxi Scherer found in 2021 that PDSA’s attempt to end the joint venture was unlawful. In September 2025, her final award confirmed the seizure was unlawful but awarded no damages against PDSA, finding the government responsible. DP World says about $685M in awards remains unpaid and that its claims of about $1B against the government and China Merchants Port Holdings remain active.
Control of DCT is itself contested. A Djibouti court appointed an administrator for DCT in September 2018 and placed it in liquidation in December 2023. In July 2024, a U.S. appeals court reversed the enforcement of DCT’s $485M awards. It told the lower court to decide first whether DCT’s law firm could act for it. In December 2024, a DP World affiliate dropped that U.S. action. In Hong Kong, DP World and DCT sued China Merchants in the Court of First Instance in August 2018, alleging it induced Djibouti to expel DP World. On December 17, 2025, the Hong Kong court recognized the administrator and dismissed DCT’s claim, according to the High Court in London.
In the Commercial Court in London, Soprim Construction holds LCIA awards against Djibouti now said to exceed $135M. It sought a charging order over about $41.6M held at Standard Chartered in DCT’s name. DP World objected that the money belongs to DCT. On February 27, 2026, Waksman J refused DP World’s application for security for costs. On July 24, 2026, Picken J held that the funds were held on trust for Djibouti and granted Soprim a final charging order over all of them.
Timeline 15 events
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EnforcementEnglish court grants Soprim a final charging order over DCT funds
Picken J held that about $41.6M held at Standard Chartered in DCT’s name was held on trust for Djibouti and rejected DP World’s objections.
Find Case Law: [2026] EWHC 1850 (Comm)Solicitors JournalGAR: UK judge allows seizure of Djibouti port terminal funds
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OrderEnglish judge refuses DP World security for costs against Soprim
Waksman J held that DP World, joined as an objecting party to Soprim’s charging order claim, was not a defendant entitled to seek security for costs.
Find Case Law: [2026] EWHC 418 (Comm)GAR: DP World denied security in fight over Djibouti port funds
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JudgmentHong Kong court dismisses DCT’s claim against China Merchants
Mimmie Chan J recognized the Djibouti-appointed administrator of DCT and dismissed DCT’s case, according to the English High Court. She held that the DP World-nominated directors had no authority to act for DCT.
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AwardFinal LCIA award finds seizure unlawful but denies damages against PDSA
Sole arbitrator Maxi Scherer held that the government, not PDSA, caused DP World’s loss and awarded PDSA its costs. DP World said its claims against the government and China Merchants remain.
The LoadstarGAR: Djibouti state entity avoids damages in billion-dollar port dispute
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OrderEnglish court sets Soprim’s enforcement claim for trial
A High Court order set Soprim’s roughly $135M enforcement claim against Djibouti down for trial, which was heard the following year.
Soprim Construction, represented by Harcus Parker, wins latest victory in $135m Enforcement Action
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EnforcementDP World affiliate drops U.S. enforcement of $485M awards
The affiliate abandoned the action after an appeals court allowed Djibouti to challenge the law firm’s authority to act for the award creditor.
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EnforcementU.S. court confirms the $200M award against Djibouti
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted DP World Djibouti’s unopposed petition and entered judgment of about $194.3M with interest.
CourtListener: DP World Djibouti FZCO v. Republic of Djibouti, 1:23-cv-01524PR Newswire: DP World statement
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AppealHong Kong Court of Appeal denies China Merchants further appeal
The Court of Appeal dismissed China Merchants Port Holdings’ bid for leave to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal. The ruling cleared the way for DP World’s suit to proceed to a full merits hearing in Hong Kong.
Dubai's DP World wins ruling in Hong Kong court over Djibouti port concessions
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AwardLCIA tribunal awards DP World about $200.8M in damages
Sole arbitrator Zachary Douglas found that Djibouti had failed to restore DP World’s and DCT’s rights under the concession. The award covered losses from February 23, 2018, to December 31, 2020.
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OrderEnglish court lets Soprim enforce Langley awards as judgments
Teare J gave Soprim Construction SARL leave under Section 66 of the Arbitration Act 1996 to enforce its 2018 LCIA awards against Djibouti as High Court judgments.
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FilingSoprim begins English enforcement proceedings against Djibouti
Soprim Construction commenced proceedings in the English High Court to enforce its LCIA awards against the Republic of Djibouti.
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AwardLCIA tribunal holds the Doraleh concession valid and binding
The tribunal of Zachary Douglas, in the arbitration DP World Djibouti and DCT began on February 20, 2018, confirmed that the 2006 concession agreement remained in force.
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AwardSecond LCIA award adds interest and costs for Soprim
A second Partial Final Award granted Soprim roughly $28M in compound interest plus about £4.15M in legal costs.
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AwardLCIA tribunal awards Soprim $56M against Djibouti
Sole arbitrator Sir Gordon Langley issued a Partial Final Award holding Djibouti liable for the unlawful destruction of Soprim Construction’s business, awarding roughly $56M in principal damages.
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OtherDjibouti ends DP World’s concession and takes over the Doraleh terminal
The government placed the terminal under a state-owned company, relying on a November 2017 law that allows contracts for strategic infrastructure to be renegotiated or ended. DP World called the seizure illegal.
Experimental AI forecast
How it is madeWill Soprim’s final charging order over the roughly $41.6 million held in DCT’s name still stand on December 31, 2027?
- Soprim’s charging order stands76%
- Still pending on December 31, 202710%
- Court of Appeal sets aside order9%
- DP World and Soprim settle over funds5%
- Resolves by
- Dec 31, 2027in 14 months
- Record confidence
- Medium
Soprim’s final charging order over about $41.6 million in DCT’s name will most likely still stand on December 31, 2027 (76%). The strongest reason is that DP World’s authority to act for DCT has been undercut. The Hong Kong court recognized the Djibouti-appointed administrator and held that DP World’s nominated directors lacked authority.
How it resolves. Resolves on public court records and reliable reporting as of December 31, 2027. “Charging order stands” if no appeal was pursued, permission to appeal was refused, or an appeal was dismissed. “Court of Appeal sets aside order” if an appellate court sets aside or materially varies the July 24, 2026, final charging order in DP World’s favor. “DP World and Soprim settle” if a publicly reported agreement divides or releases the funds before any appellate ruling. “Still pending” if an appeal or permission application remains undecided on that date.
Reasoning
Starting point. First-instance English Commercial Court enforcement rulings challenged by an objecting third party: Roughly a third or fewer of civil appeal applications get permission, and about a third of heard appeals succeed. Under 15% of such orders are overturned.
The base rate for overturning a first-instance English enforcement order is low, likely under 15%, given permission filters and modest appellate success rates. The July 24, 2026, ruling was a final order after a contested hearing, and findings that funds are held on trust for a state turn largely on evidence, which appellate courts rarely disturb. The record shows no appeal or permission application in the 2.8 months since. DP World’s standing is weak. Djibouti placed DCT in administration and liquidation, and the Hong Kong court recognized that administrator and dismissed DCT’s claim. An earlier ruling also treated DP World only as an objecting party, not a defendant. DP World has incentives to keep fighting, because about $685 million in awards remains unpaid and the funds are a rare reachable asset. The leading alternative is a pending or successful appeal if DP World obtained permission outside the public record. Settlement is unlikely because Soprim already holds a final order and has little reason to share the funds.
Hong Kong ruling denies DP World directors authority over DCT · Final charging order followed a contested hearing · No appeal shown in the record since July 2026 · Trust finding is fact-heavy and hard to overturn · DP World’s large unpaid awards motivate continued challenges
Generated automatically by Claude Opus 5.5 on Oct 18, 2026 from this case’s record on this site, and published without editorial review. The probabilities are the model’s judgment, not measured frequencies, and they are scored publicly as cases resolve. Not legal or investment advice. How the forecasts are made