Paris Court Rejects NOC Appeal, Lets Kuwait's Al-Kharafi Pursue Libyan Oil Assets in France

A Paris court ruled on September 29, 2026 that Kuwait's Al-Kharafi Group may pursue assets of Libya's National Oil Corporation in France, including NOC's stake in joint ventures with TotalEnergies. The claim stems from a 2006 contract for a five-star resort east of Tripoli, cancelled by Libya in 2010, and a 2013 arbitration award of $900 million; with interest the amount owed is $960.2 million. NOC's latest appeal to the Paris Court of Justice was unsuccessful, though further avenues of appeal remain open. A French court held in 2022 that NOC is an extension of the Libyan state and so liable to seizure.