Happy Sunday everyone!

A London court has ruled that Djibouti acted illegally when seizing DP World’s Doraleh Container Terminal in 2018, reaffirming the Dubai-based company’s 50-year concession while its $1 billion claim against Djibouti and China Merchants Port Holdings remains unresolved. In Riyadh, Cristiano Ronaldo unveiled his Insparia Hair Clinic, the brand’s 15th global branch and first in the Middle East, expanding his ventures beyond football and deepening his business ties to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, a leaked 21-page proposal reviewed by The Guardian outlines a UN-supervised Gaza International Transitional Authority to oversee reconstruction for up to five years, listing Tony Blair and Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris among potential members.

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Markets

UK Court Sides With DP World, Rules Djibouti’s Port Seizure Illegal as $1 Billion Dispute Continues

🔹 What Is It About

The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) has ruled that Djibouti acted illegally when it seized the Doraleh Container Terminal from Dubai-based DP World in 2018. The tribunal confirmed DP World’s 50-year concession agreement remains valid, rejecting Djibouti’s sovereignty claim. While this ruling closes one case involving the state-owned Port de Djibouti SA, DP World’s $1 billion in broader claims against the government and China Merchants Port Holdings remain ongoing.

🔹 Why It Matters

The ruling highlights the clash between foreign investment rights and sovereign control in Africa’s infrastructure sector. With $685 million in enforceable awards still unpaid, analysts warn Djibouti’s defiance could undermine investor confidence. The dispute also spotlights China’s growing footprint in regional ports through state-backed partnerships.

🔹 What’s Next

DP World said it will continue legal action to recover damages and enforce prior awards, calling Djibouti’s position “false and misleading.” The case remains a key test of contract enforcement and rule of law in emerging markets.

Cristiano Ronaldo Expands Business Empire With Launch of Insparia Hair Clinic in Riyadh

🔹 What Is It About

Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al Nassr FC, has opened his Insparia Hair Clinic in Riyadh, marking the brand’s Middle East debut and further extending his ventures beyond football. Speaking at the launch, Ronaldo said it was “essential to open one in Riyadh,” adding that “Saudi Arabia has become my second home.” The Riyadh clinic becomes Insparia’s fifteenth global branch, offering advanced hair restoration and wellness treatments.

🔹 Why It Matters

The launch underscores Ronaldo’s deepening ties with Saudi Arabia, where he moved in 2022. His investment signals growing confidence among global figures in the Kingdom’s diversifying economy under Vision 2030, which aims to expand health, wellness, and lifestyle sectors. It also highlights how top athletes are transforming their celebrity into multinational business ventures, mirroring the shift toward personal branding and longevity beyond sports.

🔹 What’s Next

Ronaldo’s company, co-founded in 2019, plans to scale across new markets, tapping into the $13 billion global hair restoration industry. As his CR7 brand grows—from fashion to hotels and fitness—Ronaldo continues positioning himself as both a global entrepreneur and a key ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s evolving business landscape.

Egypt’s Naguib Sawiris Named in Leaked Gaza Governance Plan Linked to Tony Blair

🔹 What Is It About

A confidential 21-page proposal seen by The Guardian outlines the creation of a Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA) — a temporary UN-supervised body designed to oversee postwar governance and reconstruction in Gaza. The proposed authority would combine international oversight with limited Palestinian representation for up to five years. Among the potential members listed are former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, Apollo Global CEO Marc Rowan, and former U.S. diplomat Aryeh Lightstone.

🔹 Why It Matters

The leak raises questions about international influence in Gaza’s postwar political future and the potential marginalization of Palestinian leadership. Sawiris’ inclusion — the only Arab businessman named — reflects both his regional stature and global network, particularly his longstanding ties with Blair. The document’s emergence comes amid heightened scrutiny of Western-led frameworks for post-conflict governance and reconstruction financing.

🔹 What’s Next

Analysts expect the plan to draw political backlash from Palestinian and regional actors wary of external control over Gaza’s future. For Sawiris, whose $9.2 billion telecom fortune has long bridged business and politics, his potential role could position him at the center of one of the most sensitive reconstruction efforts in the Middle East.

👨‍💻From Smashi Business’ Desk

• Vercel CEO Guillermo Rauch is facing backlash after posting a photo on X showing him meeting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted for war crimes by the UN-backed ICC.

• Replit founder Amjad Masad says he faced “sabotage” from VCs for speaking out on Gaza — but urges the tech community to break its silence now that “the truth is undeniable.”

• UAE Minister Showcases DIFC’s 20-Year Rise from Sand to Global Financial Hub.

🔍In other news…

• Qatar Acquires Land in Egypt for Mega Tourism Project

• UAE’s Gulftainer Plans $1 Billion Expansion in Egypt’s Logistics Sector

• Trump’s Clash With US Schools Fuels Qatar’s Education Hub Ambitions

• Elon Musk Urges Netflix Boycott, Calling Content ‘Woke’

• Qatar’s UCC Holding to Lead Redevelopment of Damascus International Airport

• Wynn Al Marjan Island Opens 101 New Roles With Competitive Salaries in Ras Al Khaimah

• Red Sea Global Launches Saudi Arabia’s First Island Golf Course

🏦 Crypto Corner

• Crypto data reveals UAE has mined bitcoins worth $700m

• Michael Saylor — Executive Chairman of MicroStrategy and one of Bitcoin’s most vocal corporate advocates — will make his first-ever appearance in the UAE at Bitcoin MENA in Abu Dhabi.

• Hut 8, part of a American BTC which is partially owned by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, Gets Approval to Operate in Dubai Financial Hub.

• Abu Dhabi Judicial Department now accept AE Coin.

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