Two major international investors have suspended new investments in global ports operator DP World after documents released by the US Department of Justice linked its chairman and chief executive, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, to the late convicted sex offender and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
British International Investment, the UK’s development finance agency, and La Caisse, Canada’s second-largest pension fund, announced they were pausing further capital commitments to the Dubai-based logistics giant pending clarification and appropriate action from the company.
The move follows the release of around 3.5 million pages of files related to Epstein, which detail his extensive network across politics, finance and business.
United States lawmakers said bin Sulayem’s name appeared in the documents, which reportedly include communications suggesting a long-running association between the two men after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for prostitution offences involving a minor.
British International Investment said it was shocked by the allegations and would not proceed with new investments alongside DP World, with which it co-invests in four African ports, until the situation is addressed. La Caisse similarly confirmed it was halting additional capital deployment until the company provides clarity.
DP World declined to comment, and bin Sulayem did not respond to a request for comment.
Bin Sulayem, one of Dubai’s most prominent business figures, has overseen DP World’s transformation into one of the world’s largest logistics operators, handling an estimated 10 per cent of global trade. The company operates across several continents and maintains high-profile commercial partnerships, including sponsorship of a leading European golf tour and a logistics deal with McLaren’s Formula 1 team.
Beyond DP World, bin Sulayem chairs several key Dubai institutions and has played a central role in major property and commodities ventures in the emirate.