Ministerial committee resolves TAQA Arabia dispute with EGAS

The Ministerial Committee for Settlement of Investment Disputes announced a settlement has been reached in a dispute between Qalaa Holdings subsidiary TAQA Arabia and EGAS. The dispute arose when EGAS did not fulfil contractual requirements towards TAQA and assigned natural gas distribution rights to separate companies, resulting in losses to TAQA estimated to be EGP 7 bn. The resolution reached between the parties does not entail any direct payments by the Egyptian government, but amends some contractual clauses between EGAS and TAQA. Our friend Moustafa El Bahabety, the Deputy Justice Minister for Arbitration and International Disputes, who is the head of the organization’s technical committee, informed us that the resolution signed off by the Ismail cabinet at its meeting last week.