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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)

Turkish firm Karkey files $700m claim on Pakistan
The News | 18-Jun-2013
A Turkish power generation company has filed a case against the Pakistan government at ICSID for compensation of losses worth 700 million dollars
ICSID , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Pakistan , Turkey
BIT claim brought against Turkmenistan following UN finding of human rights violations
Lexology | 15-Apr-2013
Following a decision of the United Nations Human Rights Committee (“UNHRC“) in 2010 that a Turkish businessman had suffered violations of his human rights after being illegally convicted of economic crimes, a claim for compensation is now being pursued under the Turkey-Turkmenistan bilateral investment treaty (“BIT“). This case therefore highlights the interesting interaction between the human rights and investment protection regimes.
human rights , investment | BITs , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Turkey , Turkmenistan
International arbitration plays key role in gas deal, Egypt’s future
Almasry Alyoum | 12-Aug-2011
In violation of international agreements, natural gas has not flowed for months across the Sinai desert through the pipeline that connects Israel and Jordan to Egypt. Since former President Hosni Mubarak’s fall in February, political uncertainty and intermittent attacks have halted its delivery.
Egypt , energy , investment | BITs , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Israel , US
Twenty Turkish firms file suit against Turkmenistan
| 14-Jul-2011
The government of Turkmenistan faces legal action from twenty Turkish construction firms over broken contracts costing them more than $1 billion in losses, a spokesman representing the companies said on Wednesday.
ICSID , investment | BITs , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Turkey , Turkmenistan
Egypt probes illegal transactions
| 23-May-2011
UAE companies that have invested in Egypt may stand to lose millions of dollars as the state runs an investigation into alleged corruption by former government officials who sold land and assets to investors below market prices, lawyers say.
Egypt , ICSID , investment | BITs , investor-state disputes | ISDS , UAE
Damac threatens international arbitration over Egyptian conviction
| 13-May-2011
Damac Properties is to fight the conviction of its chairman on Egyptian corruption charges by filing a case with the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the company announced yesterday.
Egypt , ICSID , investment | BITs , investor-state disputes | ISDS , UAE
Israelis arrested on bribery charges
Messenger | 20-Oct-2010
On October 15 Georgian law enforcers detained Israeli businessmen offering Deputy Minister of Finance, Avtandil Kharadze USD 7 million for him to convince the Georgian Government not to challenge a decision of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
Georgia , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Israel
ICSID rejects Turkish Co $756m claim against Pak
| 7-Sep-2009
An arbitral tribunal appointed by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (lCSID) of the World Bank hearing a claim brought by a Turkish investor against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has rejected all claims for breach of a bilateral investment treaty between the two countries.
ICSID , investment | BITs , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Pakistan , Turkey
Claim against ROA Government
| 9-Apr-2007
Global Gold mining company submitted its claim to the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), a body adjunct to the World Bank, against the Government of the Republic of Armenia (ROA). The Company is trying to protect its investment rights in arbitration court.
Armenia , ICSID , investment | BITs , investor-state disputes | ISDS , mining , US
US mining firm sues Armenian government
| 22-Mar-2007
A US company mining gold in Armenia has initiated an international arbitration of its bitter dispute with Environment Minister Vartan Ayvazian whom it accuses of corruption and other violations of the law.
Armenia , ICSID , investor-state disputes | ISDS , mining , US