During Donald Trump’s second presidential term, his family’s business interests in Saudi Arabia expanded markedly, deepening long-standing ties between Trump’s circle and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Dar Global, a development partner of Trump’s business ventures and a company closely aligned with the Saudi state, has announced several major Trump-branded projects over the past year, including developments in Jeddah and Riyadh, as well as participation in the large state-backed Diriyah initiative. Plans for additional deals continue to take shape amid meetings between Trump and the Crown Prince, where both political and commercial matters are discussed.
In the Gulf monarchies, where power is concentrated in hereditary rulers, leveraging political connections for personal gain is considered routine, and the notion of a «conflict of interest» holds little meaning. Yet the fusion of political authority and private commercial interests during Donald Trump’s second term stretches far beyond American norms, startling experts who study ethics and corruption. On Tuesday, Trump will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss national-security issues—with a leader who simultaneously oversees the vast Diriyah development project. Negotiations on a potential deal involving the Trump family are underway as part of that project.
Even if no agreement is ultimately reached, the Trump family’s businesses—especially in real estate—have grown rapidly in Saudi Arabia throughout his second term. Over the past year, Dar Global, a partner of the Trump Organization closely linked to Saudi authorities, has announced at least four Trump-branded projects in the kingdom. A number of commercial arrangements between the Trump family and the Saudi state emerged even before the election.
Several major ventures form the core of this cooperation. The Trump Organization is in talks to introduce the Trump brand into one of the kingdom’s largest state real-estate initiatives—Diriyah, a project valued at $63 billion. «There are no official announcements yet, but there will be soon», said Jerry Inzerillo, the longtime Trump acquaintance who serves as chief executive of the development company. The chairman of Diriyah’s board is Mohammed bin Salman himself. Other projects have been announced in parallel: a Trump Tower in Jeddah, two developments in Riyadh, and in September Dar Global unveiled plans for a $1 billion «Trump Plaza» complex in Jeddah, featuring «premium residences», office space and «a zone inspired by Central Park».
The Trump family’s footprint is also expanding in the golf industry. LIV Golf, the professional league funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has hosted tournaments at Trump National Doral near Miami. The president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, secured $2 billion from the Saudi sovereign fund for his investment firm; his close relationship with the Crown Prince dates back to Trump’s first term. In September, Kushner’s fund and the Saudi sovereign fund joined another investor in a bid to acquire the videogame publisher Electronic Arts. The deal is valued at roughly $55 billion and, if completed, would be the largest leveraged buyout in corporate history.
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Dar Global, the Trump Organization and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. Kushner himself, appearing recently on CBS’s «60 Minutes» alongside Steve Witkoff — Trump’s Middle East envoy and a developer whose family is also deeply involved in the region — defended the legitimacy of their business arrangements. «What some describe as conflicts of interest, Steve and I see as experience and reliable relationships around the world», Kushner said.
Each Trump-branded project built by Dar Global generates licensing fees for the Trump Organization. According to Trump’s financial disclosure, the company received $21.9 million in such payments from Dar Global last year, a portion of which goes directly to the president. «Licensing deals are a mechanism that allows the Saudi government to transfer money straight to the Trump family in exchange for no services or work at all», said Robert Weissman, co-chair of Public Citizen, an organization focused on ethics in public governance. In his view, «these arrangements are not merely devoid of ethical justification—they erode U.S. foreign policy».
On Monday, November 17, Dar Global announced a new Trump-branded project: the construction of a hotel in the Maldives. The project will be «tokenized», allowing investors to acquire stakes through digital tokens that can be bought and sold on a blockchain platform. Such a model makes it harder to identify investors and broadens opportunities for foreign actors seeking to further enrich the Trump family and its partners.