Donald Trump‘s remarks on Gaza on February 4th, revived a concept that had formerly been praised by both him and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
His most recent plan places Gaza in relation to the potential for real estate rather than the social or humanitarian conditions facing its residents. After claiming that the US would “take over the Gaza Strip” and “own it”, Donald Trump said:
We have a chance to do something that has the potential to become incredible. And I don’t want to be pretty. I don’t want to be a sensible person. But the ‘ Riviera of the Middle East,’ this could be something that could be so, this could be so wonderful”.
It echoes Kushner’s assertions in an interview with Harvard University in February 2024 that Gaza’s waterfront property may be “very significant if people do focus on building up incomes.” He added that he would try his best to “move the individuals out and then clean it up” from the standpoint of Israel.
Trump has since doubled down, yet suggesting that Palestinians wouldn’t be allowed returning to Gaza, “because they’re going to include much better housing”, he told Fox News on February 10.
The Middle East serves as a reminder that for Trump and his home, it is more important than anything else.
What are Trump‘s business interests in the Middle East?
The Trump Organization, a real estate and kindness corporation led by Donald Junior and Eric Trump, is increasingly interested in the area.
The Trump Organization has forged a number of contracts with Saudi Arab real estate company Dar Global, the country’s regional shoulder of Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Company.
A comfort Trump-branded lodge and golf resort in Oman is in development, while The Trump Organization and Dar Global have announced plans for two Trump Tower initiatives, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
A past Trump Tower for Dubai, consisting of a hotel and rooms, was announced in October 2005. However, the task was cancelled in 2011 due to the global economic crisis.
Trump currently has a golf course in Dubai that was completed in 2017. The Dubai sport membership was built in partnership with DAMAC Properties, run by Hussain Sajwani. Sajwani and Trump spoke at a press conference in January 2025, when it was revealed that DAMAC would invest “at least”$ 20 billion ( €19.39 billion ) to build new data centers across the US.
The Trump Organization did design, maintain, and model the buildings and the luxurious beach under the new contracts in Oman, Jeddah, and Dubai. The home is being paid millions in exchange for using their label, but the deals are more about branding than rights.
Trump and his supporters have spoken on the Middle East’s growing significance for their company interests on numerous occasions.
Eric Trump stated to the American financial paper Financial Times shortly before the announcement of the Jeddah package:” We will undoubtedly be working on other projects in this area. This area has explosive progress, and that’s not stopping anywhere soon”.
What about Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia, a significant US alliance in the Middle East, is becoming more important to the Trump family’s objectives it.
The Trump Organization has worked closely with LIV Golf, one of the country’s highly regarded and contentious activities purchases, in addition to the Dar Global targets. The Trump Organization has been paid by LIV to sponsor a number of games at its US locations and owns numerous golf courses around the world.
Meanwhile, Kushner’s own private equity firm, Affinity Partners, which is separate to the Trump Organization, has courted close ties with Saudi Arabia and its sovereign wealth fund, known as the Public Investment Fund ( PIF ).
The PIF, which is chaired by Saudi crown value and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, has invested$ 2 billion in Affinity. Kushner’s initiative has received funding from a number of other significant Gulf owners, including the Qatar Investment Authority and the Abu Dhabi-based property manager Lunate.
Kushner even has significant assets in Israel, especially in the Shlomo Group and Phoenix Holdings, an insurance company.
Does Trump have a conflict of interest?
There are concerns that Trump could face many conflict of interest issues when dealing with issues in the area as a result of his extensive business interests.
Donald Trump’s home has remained popular in his social actions and campaigns despite continuing to play a significant role in the business despite having resigned from all supervision positions when he was first elected to the presidency in 2016.
Kushner has used connections he made with the first Trump administration to expand his Middle East investment portfolio. That has been criticized, especially his close relation with the Saudi royal family.
Nevertheless, he defended himself in early 2024 in an interview with US information site Forbes, saying:” If you ask me about the job that we did in the White House, for my reviewers, what I say is: level to a single decision we made that wasn’t in the fascination of America”.
Does Trump actually think that there might be real estate deals in Gaza?
Trump and Kushner are undoubtedly open to the idea of developing Gaza as a real estate project rather than as a haven for the more than 2 million Palestinians who now reside there.
” The world’s persons will be living it”, Trump said. ” Generate that into an international, amazing location. The possible in the Gaza Strip is incredible”.
Trump’s comments sparked angry protests from Palestinians and timely proclamations from various international organizations. On a number of levels, there are a lot of doubts about its validity.
But, given The Trump Organization’s growing real estate business objectives in the region, and the clear feedback from both Trump and his son-in-law, it appears they, at least, are significant about the idea.
