Trump ties up with Saudi developer on luxury housing, golf club

The Trump Organization is teaming up with a Saudi developer on a US$200 million luxury housing development in Oman’s capital, marking the firm’s return to a region where former US President Donald Trump enjoyed broad support during his time in the Oval Office.

Trump Villas at AIDA will be built in collaboration with Dar Global. The gated community will offer views of the Gulf of Oman and will be located within the Trump International Golf Club, the firms said in a statement on Tuesday (Mar 5).

The former president already has several developments bearing his name in Dubai after a tie-up with developer Damac Group in 2015. His projects across the oil-rich Gulf region will likely add to accusations of conflict of interest dogging the embattled former president, who has emerged as the leading candidate for the Republican party’s nomination.

During his presidency, Trump pledged his businesses wouldn’t sign new deals in foreign countries, but it continued to collect income from licensing arrangements in Turkey, the Philippines and India. His administration developed close ties in the United Arab Emirates – of which Dubai is a part – and Saudi Arabia, where his company considered projects before his ascent to the presidency. BLOOMBERG