Trump-branded luxury property coming to Saudi Arabia as kingdom outlines defense 'wish list'
Saudi ruler MbS will reportedly seek the protection of a US nuclear umbrella during an upcoming visit to Washington
The Trump Organization is negotiating to bring a Trump-branded property to one of Saudi Arabia's largest government-owned real estate developments, the New York Times (NYT) reported on 14 November, ahead of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's (MbS) upcoming visit to Washington.
The property would be part of a $63 billion project overseen by MbS to turn the historic Saudi town of Diriyah into a luxury destination, including high-end hotels, retail shops, residential towers, and office space.
Jerry Inzerillo, the chief executive of the Diriyah development and a close friend of Trump's, said the Trump Organization's involvement would be officially announced soon.
It is "just a matter of time," Inzerillo said during an interview with the NYT.
Trump, who made his name as a developer of luxury properties in New York before becoming a celebrity and entering politics, toured Diriyah with Inzerillo and Saudi officials during a state visit to the kingdom in May.
"It turned out to be a good stroke of luck and maybe a little bit clever of us to say, 'OK, let's appeal to him as a developer' — and he loved it," Mr. Inzerillo said.
Since taking office in January, Trump has combined his personal business interests with his responsibilities as president.
"Deal-making and diplomacy are increasingly intertwined for Mr. Trump and his family members. Some have engaged in business talks around the world in tandem with his statecraft, mingling profit-making ventures with political relationships," the NYT wrote.
The president has additional real estate projects planned for Saudi Arabia, including a Trump tower in Jeddah and two projects in the capital, Riyadh. He also plans to build a Trump hotel and tower in the UAE and a golf course in Qatar.
Trump's Organization will receive tens of millions in licensing fees for allowing the projects to use the Trump name, possibly without having to invest capital in the projects themselves.
During Trump's first term, his son-in-law Jared Kushner cultivated close ties with MbS while serving as an advisor to the president.
Kushner, who is also a prominent New York real estate developer, received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund for his own investment fund.
The reports come as MbS is set to visit the White House next week to sign a mutual defense agreement that will reportedly include advanced weapons purchases, including F-35 warplanes and AI-powered drones, the transfer of nuclear energy technology, and the possible transfer of US nuclear weapons to the kingdom.
Previous Saudi efforts to obtain US nuclear technology have been linked to normalization with Israel. But Riyadh's negotiations to establish ties with Tel Aviv stalled after the start of Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza two years ago.
However, Washington may be willing to reach a deal with Saudi Arabia that is independent of an agreement with Israel, Middle East Eye (MEE) reported on Saturday.
"The allure of US companies like Westinghouse and Bechtel, which build nuclear reactors and the infrastructure to support them, profiting from a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, may be enough to overcome sidelining Israel," MEE wrote.
MbS is reportedly seeking a deal that will allow the kingdom to enrich its own uranium, which it naturally possesses in significant quantities.
"Not enriching would be a major concession by the Saudis. It's an economic issue because the Saudis know they can make more money off their uranium by enriching themselves instead of exporting it. But it is also a matter of national pride. The question is, if they don't enrich, what is their pay-off from Trump?" a Saudi-based analyst told MEE.
In exchange for agreeing to forego enrichment, MbS may insist that the US station nuclear weapons in the kingdom as a deterrent to an attack by a neighboring state, such as Iran.
"I suspect for now that they will give up on enrichment and processing, but they will want a nuclear umbrella protection from the US," Princeton professor Bernard Hykel told MEE, "Which may involve the deployment of US nuclear weapons systems on Saudi soil."