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Middle East

States from the Middle East have concluded about 600 investment deals. 44 ISDS cases have been brought against Middle Eastern countries, while investors from the region have initiated 44 cases as well.

In 2013, Al-Kharafi & Sons Co., investors from Kuwait, were awarded US$935 million under the Unified Agreement for the Investment of Arab Capital in the Arab States, in a dispute over a land-leasing contract for a tourism project in Libya, making it one of the largest known awards to date. They had only invested about US$5 million but the arbitration tribunal decided that Libya also had to compensate for profits that would have been made during the 90-year leasing contract and were now lost.

Photo: President of Azerbaijan / CC BY 4.0

(April 2020)

L’Égypte condamnée à payer 1,7 milliard de dollars à la compagnie israélienne d’électricité
Jeune Afrique | 8-Dec-2015
L’Egypte a été condamnée à payer 1,76 milliard de dollars (1,61 milliard d’euros) d’indemnités à la Compagnie d’électricité d’Israël (CEI)
Egypt , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Israel
UAE firms sue India, desi co for Rs 5 lakh cr over Mumbai plots
Times of India | 7-Nov-2015
Two UAE firms are claiming Rs 5 lakh crore ($85billion) as compensation, perhaps the highest arbitration demand in India’s history.
India , investor-state disputes | ISDS , UAE
Samsung Engineering files for arbitration with Oman
Korea Times | 23-Jul-2015
Samsung Engineering said that it filed an international arbitration complaint against the Oman government earlier this week over an oil refinery plant deal worth $1 billion.
investor-state disputes | ISDS , Korea , Oman
‘Hanocal may sue Korean government over sale of Hyundai Oilbank’
Korea Herald | 4-May-2015
The Dutch company will file an ISDS application against the Korean government, should the authorities refuse to pay 183.5 billion won ($169.9 million) in tax refund.
investor-state disputes | ISDS , Korea , Netherlands , UAE
International investment law and the [human right to] land
HIC-HLRN | 1-Apr-2015
In many cases, international investment agreements have the purpose and/or effect of hijacking the international human rights system.
human rights , investment | BITs , investor-state disputes | ISDS , land , North Africa , West Asia
Deux Turcs réclament 750 millions à la Suisse en dommages-intérêts
Romandie | 16-Mar-2015
Deux citoyens turcs, soupconnés de fraude en Turquie, ont déposé une demande de 750 millions de dollars contre la Suisse, lui reprochant d’avoir violé un accord bilatéral de protection des investissements.
investor-state disputes | ISDS , Switzerland , Turkey
Iran wins its first investor-state case
Lexology | 29-Oct-2014
The Islamic Republic of Iran has won its first ever investor-state arbitration in a decision against Turkish mobile phone company, Turkcell.
investor-state disputes | ISDS , Iran , telecommunications , Turkey
Washington court rules in Hungary’s favor in cancelled casino investment case
Politics.hu | 3-Oct-2014
An ICSID arbitration panel rules in favour of Hungary against US/Israeli investors seeking €300 million in compensation for a failed casino project.
Cyprus , Hungary , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Israel , US
Qatar’s Al Jazeera files $150 million damages claim with Egypt
Reuters | 28-Apr-2014
The Qatar-based satellite network Al Jazeera served Egypt with a $150 million compensation claim on Monday for what it said was damage to its business inflicted by Cairo’s military rulers, a step likely to worsen Qatari-Egyptian relations.
Egypt , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Qatar
Al Jazeera sues Egypt for $150m after crackdown on journalists
FT | 28-Apr-2014
Al Jazeera has lodged a $150m claim for compensation against Egypt, turning to an international investor arbitration tribunal in its latest bid to fight a crackdown by the government in Cairo.
Egypt , investor-state disputes | ISDS , militarism | terrorism | security , Qatar