The Investment Dispute Resolution Center demands that Tunisia pay the costs of the Zenith arbitration

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes has again asked Tunisia to pay its remaining share of the costs of international arbitration proceedings in the ongoing dispute with British-Canadian energy company Zenith Energy, as announced by the company on 9 November 2026 via the London Stock Exchange's financial disclosure system.

The dispute concerns an arbitration lawsuit totaling about US$573 million brought by three of the group's subsidiaries, Zenith Energy Africa, Zenith Overseas Assets and Compagnie du Désir against the state. This case registered with the Centre under ARP/23/18 is based on the bilateral Convention for the Protection and Promotion of Investments signed between Tunisia and the United Kingdom in 1989.

The company stated in its financial statement that since the start of the arbitration process, Tunisia has not paid any of the joint procedural costs that were supposed to be shared equally between the parties to the dispute, prompting the plaintiffs to bear those costs alone to ensure that the case continues to be examined. The company considered that the refurbishment of the claim by the jury was aimed at preventing a disruption to the course of the case and ensuring progress towards the final judgment.

In its statement, the company accused the Tunisian side of trying to slow down litigation and failing to comply with legal financial obligations in international litigation.