Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has held talks with DP World, the Dubai-based global port and logistics giant, over the reconstruction of Gaza, according to the Financial Times — a development that signals the administration is actively pursuing private sector port and logistics operators to manage what would be one of the most complex infrastructure reconstruction projects in modern history.
The talks bring together Trump’s most ambitious post-war governance initiative and one of the world’s most experienced port operators, in a context where Gaza’s port infrastructure has been almost entirely destroyed and a functional maritime gateway is considered essential to any viable reconstruction plan.
What the Board of Peace Is
Trump established the Board of Peace in January 2026 as a new international transitional body tasked with overseeing the next phase of governance, reconstruction and stabilisation in the Gaza Strip, as part of Phase Two of his comprehensive 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas. Trump serves as the board’s chairman.
The Board was formally approved by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 on November 17, 2025 by a vote of 13-0, with Russia and China abstaining. Its charter was ratified at a meeting of founding members at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026.
At the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington in February 2026, Trump announced that nine member nations had pledged $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package and five countries agreed to deploy troops to an International Stabilisation Force. Plans call for 12,000 police and 20,000 soldiers for Gaza.
However the initiative has faced significant headwinds. Despite a Washington conference securing $17 billion in pledges, only a fraction has been delivered by a handful of nations including the UAE and Morocco. This financial shortfall prevents the US-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza from assuming control from Hamas.
Why DP World Is the Logical Partner
DP World is not a random corporate name being attached to a political project. It is the world’s third-largest port operator and one of the most experienced handlers of post-conflict and emerging market port development globally. DP World has a portfolio of 78 operating marine and inland terminals supported by over 50 related businesses in 40 countries across six continents.
The company’s track record of operating in complex, post-conflict environments is directly relevant to Gaza. DP World signed an $800 million deal to develop Syria’s Port of Tartus following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, as the new Syrian authorities worked to reconnect the country to global companies and kickstart reconstruction after 14 years of civil war. That Syria precedent is almost certainly part of the case being made in the Gaza reconstruction conversations.
The Port of Gaza itself represents one of the most significant infrastructure gaps in any reconstruction plan. The port and more than 90% of docked vessels were destroyed by Israel during the Gaza war through targeted aerial strikes and maritime artillery impacts. Since the Oslo Accords there have been plans to build a much larger seaport in Gaza, but these have never materialised. A functional deep-water port is the prerequisite for virtually every other reconstruction activity — construction materials, food, medical supplies and eventually commercial goods all require a maritime entry point that Gaza currently does not have.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza announced on April 18, 2026 that the overall death toll from Israeli military operations since October 7, 2023 has climbed to 72,549, with 172,274 people wounded — figures that place the scale of the Gaza conflict among the deadliest sustained military campaigns against a civilian population in recent history.
In the 24 hours preceding the announcement, health authorities received eight bodies — seven newly killed and one recovered from under rubble — along with 24 wounded individuals. Rescue teams continue to struggle to reach victims trapped under debris or in areas made inaccessible by ongoing destruction and attacks.
The Post-Ceasefire Death Toll — The Number That Demands Attention
The most significant and troubling figure in the Health Ministry’s latest update is not the overall toll but what has happened since the ceasefire. Since the US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10-11, 2025, at least 773 Palestinians have been killed and 2,171 wounded in Israeli attacks across Gaza. Rescue teams have additionally recovered 761 bodies from beneath destroyed buildings during this post-ceasefire period.
These are deaths that occurred after a formal ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States was in effect — a pattern that humanitarian organisations and international observers have used to challenge the characterisation of the ceasefire as a functioning protection mechanism for Gaza’s civilian population. The figure of 773 post-ceasefire deaths over approximately six months translates to roughly four deaths per day in a territory where a ceasefire is nominally in place.
Both sides have continued to accuse each other of ceasefire violations throughout this period. Israel has pointed to Hamas rocket fire and tunnel activity as justification for continued military operations. Palestinian authorities and international human rights organisations have documented ongoing Israeli strikes in areas designated as humanitarian zones and on infrastructure critical to civilian survival.
The DP World Leadership Context
The talks between the Board of Peace and DP World come at a moment of significant internal transition at the Dubai operator. Chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigned from DP World in 2026 after it came to light that he had an extensive relationship with disgraced child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with multiple companies announcing they would stop working with DP World amid the reporting. The leadership transition adds complexity to any formal partnership discussions, as the company is managing both its post-Sulayem governance and a $3 billion capital expenditure programme for 2026 simultaneously.
What a DP World-Gaza Deal Would Look Like
No terms of any potential agreement have been disclosed. But the logic of the engagement points toward DP World potentially taking an operator role in the development and management of a reconstructed Gaza port — similar to its model in Syria, Egypt and dozens of other emerging market locations where it provides not just capital but operational expertise, supply chain integration and international shipping connectivity.
For the Board of Peace, bringing in a credible global port operator provides the commercial legitimacy and operational substance that a purely political reconstruction plan lacks. For DP World, a Gaza port development would be among the most high-profile and geopolitically significant projects in its history — a reputational opportunity as much as a commercial one, in a post-Sulayem era where the company needs to rebuild its international standing.
The India Angle
India’s connection to this story runs through two channels. DP World operates significant port infrastructure in India — including terminals at Nhava Sheva, Cochin, Chennai and Mundra — making it a company with deep commercial ties to the Indian market. Any expansion of DP World’s Middle East footprint through Gaza reconstruction would affect the company’s overall capital allocation and operational capacity in ways that matter to its Indian stakeholders.
More broadly, India has been a significant contributor to humanitarian assistance for Gaza and has maintained a careful diplomatic position on the reconstruction question. The involvement of a UAE-headquartered company in a US-led Gaza reconstruction framework is consistent with the UAE’s broader role in the region and aligns with India’s existing strategic partnerships in the Gulf.
Disclaimer: This article is based on FT reporting and publicly available information. Details of the DP World-Board of Peace talks have not been officially confirmed by either party.