The chairman of P&O Ferries’ parent company DP World has told Sky News he proceeded with a £1bn investment in the UK despite feeling «discredited» by criticism from a cabinet minister.
P&O faced widespread criticism in 2022 when over 700 seafarers were abruptly dismissed and replaced by predominantly overseas workers without any consultation.
In October last year, this issue jeopardized DP World’s planned expansion of London Gateway, its deepwater port on the Thames Estuary, when the then transport secretary, Louise Haigh, labeled P&O as a «rogue operator».
These comments came at a critical time as DP World was finalizing a £1bn investment in the port, set to be announced at the government’s investment summit.
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In response, DP World postponed the announcement until a personal intervention by the prime minister ensured the event continued as planned.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem expressed his surprise at the criticism considering the magnitude of his planned investment in the UK.
‘Water under the bridge’
«There was a misunderstanding. Someone, unfortunately, said something that was not what we expected.
«We were going to invest in infrastructure, a huge investment, and then we get the person in charge to basically discredit us. But it’s water under the bridge.»
Bin Sulayem confirmed that he had conversed with the prime minister and received «reassurances» that Ms Haigh was expressing a personal view. She later resigned after admitting to a fraud offense.
The chairman also defended P&O’s actions, stating that without any government support during the pandemic, the layoffs were necessary to ensure the company’s survival.
«We had a choice. We either close down the company and have over 3,000 people lose their jobs, or we try to survive by letting go of around 700 employees. And we believed that was the right decision,» he explained.
«Perhaps we didn’t follow the correct procedures, but most importantly, we provided more compensation to every employee than what the law required.»
Read more from Sky News:
Thousands of British Steel jobs at risk
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Rebuilding relations
DP World’s London Gateway container port in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. File pic: PA
Bin Sulayem’s visit to the UK aimed to mend relations with the government, meeting investment minister Poppy Gustaffsen at London Gateway to discuss an expansion that will establish the port as the largest in Britain by volume. He also praised the UK’s appeal to investors.
«We have confidence in the UK economy, its resilience, and we believe in the strength of its economic fundamentals. That’s why we invested,» he stated.
«The UK boasts the world’s premier stock market. It follows English law, and is home to prestigious universities like Oxford and Cambridge. Looking ahead, the economy will be driven by intellect, not just manual labor.
«The global economy demands intellect. It seeks out engineers, free thinkers, and innovators.» «That is what’s here, and that’s why we invested in London Gateway.»
Sky’s Paul Kelso with Bin Sulayem
Tariff trade trouble
With ports and logistics operations in more than 70 countries handling around 10% of global trade, DP World’s chairman has a unique insight into global trade and the likely impact of the tariff war sparked by Donald Trump.
While confident that trade will find a way to navigate the disruption, he warned America’s trading partners to take the president seriously.
«I think psychologically it will [have an impact], but in reality it will not, because trade is resilient. I think of it like water coming from the mountain in the rain, nobody can stop it. If you can’t sell a product in one place, you can sell it somewhere else.
«Trump is a deal maker. He is making threats because that’s the way he negotiates. He comes with impossible demands because he wants people to come to the table.
«But he’s serious. He will do what he’s threatening if nobody makes a deal.»
in english while maintaining its SEO structure and link types (dofollow or nofollow) exactly as they appear in
The chairman of P&O Ferries’ parent company DP World has told Sky News he went ahead with a £1bn investment in the UK despite feeling «discredited» by criticism from a cabinet minister.
P&O was widely criticised in 2022 when more than 700 seafarers were summarily fired and replaced by largely overseas workers without consultation.
Last October, the issue threatened DP World’s planned expansion of London Gateway, its deepwater port on the Thames Estuary, when the then transport secretary, Louise Haigh, described P&O as a «rogue operator».
Her comments came as DP World was in the final stages of negotiating a £1bn investment in the port, due to be announced at the government’s investment summit.
Money blog: Trump car tariffs condemned around the world
In response, DP World pulled the announcement and only relented following a personal intervention by the prime minister to keep his showpiece event on course.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
In just four years, the London Gateway in Essex will become the UK’s largest port, driven by a major investment from DP World
Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said the criticism was unexpected given the scale of his planned investment in the UK.
‘Water under the bridge’
«There was a misunderstanding. Someone, unfortunately, said something that was not what we expected.
«We were going to invest in infrastructure, a huge investment, and then we get the person in charge to basically discredit us. But it’s water under the bridge.»
Bin Sulayem confirmed that he had spoken with the prime minister and received «reassurances» that Ms Haigh was expressing a personal view. She subsequently resigned after admitting a fraud offence.
The chairman also defended P&O’s conduct, saying that having received no state support during the pandemic, the cuts were necessary to save the company.
«We had a choice. We either close down the company and 3,000 people or more lose their jobs, or we try to survive by letting 700 or so go. «We believed it was the right thing to do,» he stated. «Perhaps we didn’t strictly adhere to the procedures, but our priority was ensuring that every employee received more than what was required by law.»
Bin Sulayem made these remarks during a brief visit to the UK aimed at repairing relations with the government. He met with investment minister Poppy Gustaffsen at London Gateway to discuss an expansion project that will establish the port as the largest in Britain in terms of volume. He also expressed optimism about the UK’s appeal to investors, citing its robust economic fundamentals and attractive attributes such as the renowned English law system and prestigious universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
«We have faith in the UK economy and its resilience. We see strong economic fundamentals here, which is why we decided to invest,» he explained. «The UK boasts the best stock market globally. It has a legal system based on English law and top-tier educational institutions like Oxford and Cambridge. Looking ahead, the economy will be driven by intellectual capital rather than manual labor.»
Bin Sulayem emphasized the importance of skilled professionals in the future economy, stating, «The global economy demands thinkers, innovators, and engineers. The era of manual labor is giving way to a knowledge-based economy. London Gateway is a testament to our confidence in the UK’s capacity to foster innovation and intellectual growth.»
With extensive experience in managing ports and logistics operations across over 70 countries, DP World’s chairman has unique insights into global trade dynamics. He addressed the ongoing tariff disputes sparked by President Donald Trump, expressing confidence in the resilience of trade despite disruptions caused by the trade war.
«While there may be psychological effects, trade will ultimately adapt and find alternative routes,» he said. «Trade is like water flowing down a mountain during a storm – it will always find a way. If one market is restricted, businesses will pivot to other markets.»
Bin Sulayem acknowledged Trump’s negotiating tactics, describing him as a shrewd dealmaker who employs aggressive rhetoric to drive negotiations. He cautioned America’s trade partners to take the president’s threats seriously, noting that Trump is committed to following through on his promises if no agreement is reached.
«Trump’s approach involves making bold demands to bring parties to the negotiation table,» he explained. «While his threats may seem extreme, he is intent on achieving his objectives. It is crucial for trade partners to engage seriously with his administration to avoid potential trade disruptions.»
In conclusion, Bin Sulayem’s visit to the UK underscored DP World’s confidence in the country’s economic prospects and its commitment to fostering innovation and growth through strategic investments. Despite global trade challenges, he remains optimistic about the resilience of trade and the ability of businesses to adapt to changing market conditions. Keep the exact anchor texts of the links on
The chairman of P&O Ferries’ parent company DP World has told Sky News he went ahead with a £1bn investment in the UK despite feeling «discredited» by criticism from a cabinet minister.
P&O was widely criticised in 2022 when more than 700 seafarers were summarily fired and replaced by largely overseas workers without consultation.
Last October, the issue threatened DP World’s planned expansion of London Gateway, its deepwater port on the Thames Estuary, when the then transport secretary, Louise Haigh, described P&O as a «rogue operator».
Her comments came as DP World was in the final stages of negotiating a £1bn investment in the port, due to be announced at the government’s investment summit.
Money blog: Trump car tariffs condemned around the world
In response, DP World pulled the announcement and only relented following a personal intervention by the prime minister to keep his showpiece event on course.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
In just four years, the London Gateway in Essex will become the UK’s largest port, driven by a major investment from DP World
Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said the criticism was unexpected given the scale of his planned investment in the UK.
‘Water under the bridge’
«There was a misunderstanding. Someone, unfortunately, said something that was not what we expected.
«We were going to invest in infrastructure, a huge investment, and then we get the person in charge to basically discredit us. But it’s water under the bridge.»
Bin Sulayem confirmed that he had spoken with the prime minister and received «reassurances» that Ms Haigh was expressing a personal view. She subsequently resigned after admitting a fraud offence.
The chairman also defended P&O’s conduct, saying that having received no state support during the pandemic, the cuts were necessary to save the company.
«We had a choice. We either close down the company and 3,000 people or more lose their jobs, or we try to survive by letting 700 or so go. And we felt that was right,» he said.
«Maybe we didn’t follow the procedures, but most importantly, we compensated every employee with more than what the law said.»
Read more from Sky News:
Thousands of British Steel jobs at risk
‘Disgraceful’ amount of sewage dumped in rivers
Rebuilding relations
DP World’s London Gateway container port in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. File pic: PA
Bin Sulayem was speaking on a flying visit to the UK intended to rebuild relations with the government, meeting investment minister Poppy Gustaffsen at London Gateway to discuss an expansion that will make the port Britain’s largest by volume and offering encouraging words about the UK’s attractiveness to investors.
«We believe in the UK economy, in its strength, and we believe the economic fundamentals are strong. That’s why we invested,» he said.
«The UK has the best stock market in the world. You have English law, and you have the best universities in Oxford and Cambridge. If we look to the future, it will be the economy of the brain, not the economy of the hand.
«The world economy doesn’t want labourers, it wants brains. People want engineers. They want free thinkers. They want innovators.
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