DP World Group said on Friday in a statement that it has decided to appoint a new Chairman of its Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, who will succeed Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, who was combining the two positions, without clarifying the background of the decision, which comes after the name of its former Chairman, the most prominent Emirati businessman, was mentioned in the Jeffrey Epstein file.

Published on: 02/13/2026 - 15:39

Dubai Ports World Group (DP WORLD) on Friday removed Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem from its presidency, and appointed a new Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO to succeed him, as he was combining the two positions.

The decision came after the revelation of correspondence between him and American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes.

In this context, the company said in a statement: “The Board of Directors of DP World approved the appointment of His Excellency Issa Kazim as Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors, and the appointment of Yuvraj Narayan as Group CEO.” The step was placed within the framework of “strengthening the system of governance and institutional leadership,” according to the statement, which did not mention Bin Sulayem’s name.

But this comes in the wake of increasing pressure due to the reported relationship between Bin Sulayem, the group’s long-time head, and Jeffrey Epstein. Members of the US Congress said that his name appeared in the files, which renewed scrutiny of the nature of his previous contact with Epstein, who was convicted of committing sexual crimes before his death.

Epstein described Bin Sulayem as one of his “most trustworthy” friends, according to documents recently published by the US Department of Justice, in which the Emirati’s name appears more than 9,400 times. The two men maintained regular correspondence from 2009 to 2018, during which they exchanged messages about personal matters, meetings, introductions, and job opportunities.

At the time, Epstein presented the wealthy businessman as close to the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The correspondence indicates that Ben Sulayem visited Epstein in the United States several times, including on his island.

Because of what was said about his possible links to Epstein, the British development finance institution British International Investment (BII) and the second largest pension fund in Canada suspended any new investments in the company.

But on Friday, the Corporation welcomed the appointment of a new CEO for Dubai Ports World, confirming that it will resume investment with the Dubai-based port operating company. A spokesman said: “We welcome DB World’s decision today and look forward to continuing our partnership to advance the development of key African trade ports to unleash the continent’s global trade potential.”

Bin Sulayem, one of the most prominent Emirati businessmen, led DB World for more than four decades, and oversaw the organization’s expansion into one of the largest logistics companies in the world, which says it handles about ten percent of global trade.

France 24/AFP/Reuters

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