The head of Dubai-based global ports operator DP World has stepped down following mounting scrutiny over his past correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigned as chairman and chief executive with immediate effect, according to a company statement released Friday. DP World named Essa Kazim as chairman and Yuvraj Narayan as chief executive. The company’s website also removed Sulayem’s photograph shortly after the announcement.
Recently released U.S. court files show that Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem appears to have exchanged hundreds of emails with Jeffrey Epstein over roughly a decade. Being referenced in the documents does not in itself indicate wrongdoing. The BBC said it contacted Sulayem for comment.
DP World, a Dubai-owned logistics company that operates port terminals across six continents, has faced pressure from some of its business partners. The UK’s development finance institution and Canada’s pension fund La Caisse said earlier this week they were pausing new investments in the company. The Prince of Wales’ Earthshot Prize initiative, which previously received support from DP World, was also reported to the UK Charity Commission after Sulayem’s name appeared in the files.
According to reporting based on the released documents, emails suggest contact between Sulayem and Epstein dating back to at least 2007. The correspondence includes travel plans, business discussions and personal exchanges. In a 2013 email, Epstein referred to Sulayem as “one of his most trusted friends.”
The files indicate Epstein introduced Sulayem by email to several political and business figures. Those listed in the correspondence include former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Follow-up emails show that communication between Sulayem and some of those figures later continued directly.
An email appearing to be from Sulayem in 2015 asked whether Epstein had mentioned a “proposal” to Elon Musk, though no additional context was provided. The documents also reference possible introductions to political leaders in Kenya, Senegal, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is unclear whether those introductions occurred.
Other correspondence suggests Epstein encouraged former UK business secretary Lord Peter Mandelson to “be nice to Sultan” during discussions over DP World’s London Gateway port project. Emails indicate Epstein may have helped draft communication to Mandelson and shared contact details. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mandelson, and it is not clear whether Epstein’s involvement affected the project’s approval.
In a 2016 message, Sulayem informed Epstein that he had hosted Prince William at the London Gateway port and attended an event at Buckingham Palace the following day. Epstein replied briefly to the message.
Some emails appear to include personal conversations about women and travel arrangements. The context of several exchanges remains unclear from the documents alone.
Epstein was first convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution and died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
DP World has not indicated that the resignation is linked to any finding of misconduct. The newly released documents have intensified public and political attention on individuals who had contact with Epstein prior to his death.
