President Donald Trump is heading to the Middle East for the first international diplomatic trip of his second term, with plans to visit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. His family business has expanding interests in all three countries.
The Trump Organization, run by the president’s eldest sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., has recently announced its involvement in a number of new projects in the three countries — two of which were unveiled just in the last few weeks.
The planned developments will add to the dozens of Trump-branded properties around the world, including residential towers, commercial hotels, private golf clubs, and public golf courses in North America, Europe, and Asia. But a major area of focus for the company right now appears to be the oil-rich, largely authoritarian-run countries of the Middle East.
While Trump is no longer directly in charge of the Trump Organization, his family’s business deals have raised a number of ethical concerns and potential conflicts of interest during both his presidential terms.
Here are the Trump Organization’s current real estate dealings in each country Trump is visiting.
United Arab Emirates
In late April, the Trump Organization announced the development of an 80-story Trump International Hotel & Tower in Dubai, UAE.
The project is in partnership with Dar Global, the London-listed international arm of Saudi real estate development company Dar Al Arkan, which has close ties to the Saudi government, according to The New York Times.
The new property will join the country’s Trump International Golf Club, which first opened in Dubai in 2017, about a month after Trump entered his first term in office.
Qatar
The Trump Organization announced another deal at the end of April: a Trump International Golf Club Simaisma outside of Doha, Qatar, in partnership with Dar Global and Qatari Diar, a state-owned real estate firm.
Dar Global will serve as the owner and developer of the property, which will use the Trump name under license, according to the real estate firm’s press release.
The project is set to include an 18-hole golf course, golf club, and Trump-branded luxury villas as part of the $5.5 billion-dollar Simaisma development along a 4-mile strip of Qatar’s coast.
Because Qatari Diar is directly owned by the Qatari state, the development appears to violate the Trump Organization’s second-term ethics commitment, which promises to limit new business with foreign governments.
The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, but a spokesperson for the company previously told the Associated Press that its agreement was with Dar Global, not with Qatari Diar.
However, the press release announcing the agreement clearly mentions both companies, including in a statement from Trump Organization Executive Vice President, Eric Trump.
“We are incredibly proud to expand the Trump brand into Qatar through this exceptional collaboration with Qatari Diar and Dar Global,” Eric Trump said in the press release.
Saudi Arabia
The Trump Organization has several projects lined up in Saudi Arabia.
The Trump Organization last year announced the development of a 47-story Trump Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — again in partnership with Dar Global.
Eric Trump posted a video rendering of the sleek Trump-branded beachside tower on X in December, writing, “Incredibly proud to officially launch a project that has been underway for many months, Trump Tower – Jeddah!”
The luxury residential tower overlooking the Red Sea is scheduled for completion in 2029, according to Dar Global.
The Trump Organization is involved in two other Saudi real estate developments, both in the capital city of Riyadh, Dar Global announced in a December press release.
The Trump Organization will license its name to the Trump-branded properties, which will be fully owned and operated by Dar Global, according to the press release.
During a press briefing on Friday, a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt if Trump was planning to conduct any personal business during his trip this week.
She responded that it was “frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit.”
Read the full article here
