As President-elect Donald Trump continues to plot his White House comeback, his international dealings are also taking shape.
On Wednesday, Eric Trump took to social media to announce a new Trump Organization project in Saudi Arabia: Trump Tower Jeddah.
“Incredibly proud to officially launch a project that has been underway for many months, Trump Tower - Jeddah! Eric Trump, the company’s executive vice president wrote on X. “This will be our 5th project together and among the most luxurious buildings anywhere in the world!”
But the foreign project is already raising questions about the incoming president’s ability – or desire – to steer clear of business dealings that could cloud his administration and introduce accusations of corruption, according to the New Republic’s Hafiz Rashid.
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He wrote Wednesday that the business interests involving Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who maintains a chummy relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, "don’t look good" for Trump.
“Coupled with the Trump Organization’s Saudi deals, it seems that Trump isn’t worried about being accused of corruption, or being beholden to a foreign state,” Rashid said.
The Middle East project – and its $532 million price tag – had been planned for years but was put on hold after Trump won the presidency in 2016, the report noted.
“After that, the Trump family pledged not to sign new international deals while he was president,” it said. “But now, after being elected a second time, the elder Trump doesn’t seem to care about the appearance of a conflict of interest, raising questions of corruption.”
In his social media post, Eric Trump thanked the project’s partners, Dubai-based real estate developer Dar Global, who together are building the towering residential apartment complex that is projected to be completed in four years.
