It was partially owned and operated by DP World and China Merchants Holdings, until its container facility was seized by the government of Djibouti in February 2018.

[20] In 2014, the Djibouti government accused DP World of bribing the head of the port authority, Abdourahman Boreh, and stated that the operating contract was unfair.

[21] In response, DP world began a new arbitration case in London against the termination of their 30-year contract to manage the port, to secure "compensation for their breach or expropriation.

[22] The nationalization took place as the United Arab Emirates expanded its influence around the Red Sea and East Africa.

[13] At the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and located next to the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Djibouti occupies a strategic position and hosts US, Chinese, French and Italian military bases.

[12] In 2018 the London High Court prohibited the Djibouti government's port company from interfering with the management of DCT.

[27][28] In September 2022, DP World won another ruling at the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong, which dismissed the latest request by China Merchants Port Holdings.

DP World and joint venture company Doraleh Container Terminal are bringing multi-billion dollar claims against China Merchants, alleging that it induced the government of Djibouti to expel DP World from the country and hand over the Doraleh terminal to China Merchants.

Djibouti, at the southern outlet of the Red Sea, is located on a wide shipping lane for oil, and as such provides access to the markets of other countries in the Horn of Africa.