DP World CEO Resigns Amid Jeffrey Epstein Controversy

The head of global ports operator DP World has left the company after mounting pressure over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem's exit as chairman and chief executive comes after newly-released files showed the Emirati mogul appears to have exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein over a decade.

Being mentioned in the files is not a sign of any wrongdoing, and the BBC has approached Sulayem for a comment.

DP World announced his resignation, effective immediately, on Friday, naming Essa Kazim as chairman and Yuvraj Narayan as chief executive. A photograph of Sulayem appeared to have been removed from its website.

DP World, the Dubai-owned logistics giant that runs port terminals across six continents and plays a significant role in global trade infrastructure, has come under increasing pressure over recent days from businesses it works with.

Earlier this week, the UK development finance agency and Canada's second largest pension fund La Caisse said they were suspending new investment into the firm.

The Prince of Wales' Earthshot project, which received funding from DP World, was reported to the UK Charity Commission after Sulayem appeared in the files.

The documents reveal a close and wide-ranging relationship between one of the Gulf's most influential business figures and Epstein. Sulayem was accused by two US lawmakers of being one of six powerful men connected to the disgraced financier.

Emails indicate that Sulayem and Epstein discussed business ideas and even health matters concerning Sulayem’s family, showing a long-term friendship that continued after Epstein's 2008 conviction.

As the fallout from the revelations continues, the implications for both Sulayem and DP World are profound, raising urgent questions about corporate governance and ethical business practices.