Al Habtoor Group has formally initiated international arbitration proceedings against the Lebanese Republic, the company confirmed in an official statement on April 28, 2026.
The proceedings have been filed through the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington DC.
The Group is represented by the international law firm White & Case LLP, and the Lebanese Republic has been formally notified in accordance with established procedures.
Al Habtoor Group files international arbitration against Lebanon at ICSID
The Group stated that the filing follows “a prolonged period of sustained and good-faith efforts” to resolve the matter without recourse to formal legal proceedings. Those efforts, it said, had been “fully exhausted without any meaningful or constructive outcome.”
Al Habtoor Group said its investments in Lebanon were made “in reliance on the country’s legal and regulatory framework and the protections afforded under international agreements,” and that it had suffered “significant losses and damages” as a direct consequence of measures taken by the Lebanese Republic over an extended period, as well as the state’s failure to protect those investments.
The arbitration has been brought under the applicable bilateral investment treaty between the respective states. The Request for Arbitration, along with supporting documentation, has been transmitted to ICSID in Washington DC.
Group vows to pursue claim “firmly and with discipline”
In its statement, the Group described the commencement of proceedings as “a clear and deliberate decision to pursue all available legal remedies to protect the Group’s rights and to seek full redress through the appropriate international legal channels.”
Al Habtoor Group said it would pursue the arbitration process “firmly and with discipline,” signalling its intention to see the proceedings through to a conclusion.
Lebanon has been formally notified of the proceedings.
