Azerbaijan MP’s son wins £31m Shusha reconstruction contracts

Orkhan Guluzade

The son of an Azerbaijani member of parliament has been awarded state contracts worth 66.5 million manats (£31m) to build residential housing in the city of Shusha.

Orkhan Guluzade, the 37-year-old son of MP Ulvi Guliyev, owns Diler Inshaat QSC, which won three separate tenders issued by the Shusha State Reserve Administration.

The contracts cover the construction of 21 residential buildings across two blocks in the city. They include six four-storey buildings in the D-5 block, and a further seven buildings in the D-3 block.

It follows previous lucrative contracts awarded to the firm, including deals worth more than 45m manats (£21m) for reconstruction projects in the Agdam region.

The deals are the latest in a series of major reconstruction contracts in the Karabakh region awarded to figures closely connected to Azerbaijani officials.

Recent investigations by Azadliq Radiosu (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) revealed that a company owned by Sabuhi Mehdizade, a deputy presidential representative, secured a 41.2m manat (£19.1m) contract in Lachin.

Meanwhile, Sea Breeze Construction, owned by Emin Agalarov, the former son-in-law of President Ilham Aliyev, won a 34.4m manat (£16m) tender in Gubadli, alongside projects in Jabrayil and Zangilan.

Independent economists have raised concerns over a lack of transparency in the post-conflict rebuilding process.

"These tenders are not transparent and ordinary companies have no chance of winning them," said economist Zohrab Ismayil. "In reality, high-ranking individuals are behind these firms."

Mr Ismayil also pointed to concerns from returning residents regarding the quality of the newly constructed homes.

Azerbaijani authorities have consistently rejected allegations of corruption and nepotism in the reconstruction efforts.

MP Zahid Oruc told Azadliq Radiosu that linking major reconstruction projects directly to top state officials was politically motivated and "should not be accepted as absolute truth".

Under a public procurement law introduced in January 2024, all state tenders must be conducted through a single electronic portal designed to ensure equal opportunities and transparency.The son of an Azerbaijani member of parliament has been awarded state contracts worth 66.5 million manats (£31m) to build residential housing in the city of Shusha.

Orkhan Guluzade, the 37-year-old son of MP Ulvi Guliyev, owns Diler Inshaat QSC, which won three separate tenders issued by the Shusha State Reserve Administration.

The contracts cover the construction of 21 residential buildings across two blocks in the city. They include six four-storey buildings in the D-5 block, and a further seven buildings in the D-3 block.

It follows previous lucrative contracts awarded to the firm, including deals worth more than 45m manats (£21m) for reconstruction projects in the Agdam region.

The deals are the latest in a series of major reconstruction contracts in the Karabakh region awarded to figures closely connected to Azerbaijani officials.

Recent investigations by Azadliq Radiosu (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) revealed that a company owned by Sabuhi Mehdizade, a deputy presidential representative, secured a 41.2m manat (£19.1m) contract in Lachin.

Meanwhile, Sea Breeze Construction, owned by Emin Agalarov, the former son-in-law of President Ilham Aliyev, won a 34.4m manat (£16m) tender in Gubadli, alongside projects in Jabrayil and Zangilan.

Independent economists have raised concerns over a lack of transparency in the post-conflict rebuilding process.

"These tenders are not transparent and ordinary companies have no chance of winning them," said economist Zohrab Ismayil. "In reality, high-ranking individuals are behind these firms."

Mr Ismayil also pointed to concerns from returning residents regarding the quality of the newly constructed homes.

Azerbaijani authorities have consistently rejected allegations of corruption and nepotism in the reconstruction efforts.

MP Zahid Oruc told Azadliq Radiosu that linking major reconstruction projects directly to top state officials was politically motivated and "should not be accepted as absolute truth".

Under a public procurement law introduced in January 2024, all state tenders must be conducted through a single electronic portal designed to ensure equal opportunities and transparency.