WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump embarks on a high-profile tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, his presence is drawing renewed scrutiny—not just for its diplomatic significance, but for the growing web of business and crypto connections between his family and the Gulf region.
While headlines have fixated on Trump’s acceptance of a $400 million luxury Boeing 747 from Qatar’s ruling family and a $600 billion investment pledge from Saudi Arabia, it’s the broader pattern of intersecting personal and political interests that has sparked ethical concerns. Critics warn that such entanglements risk blurring the lines between U.S. foreign policy and the Trump family’s global business ambitions.
Trump Sons Pave the Way with Business Expansion
In the weeks leading up to the president’s visit, Trump’s sons—Eric and Donald Jr.—have been actively expanding the family’s real estate and crypto presence across the Middle East. Eric Trump recently unveiled plans for an 80-story Trump Tower in Dubai, while attending a cryptocurrency summit alongside Zach Witkoff, co-founder of the Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial and son of longtime Trump ally Steve Witkoff.
“We are proud to expand our presence in the region,” Eric Trump said, confirming that construction on the new tower would begin this fall.
Simultaneously, the Trump Organization is involved in a slew of new real estate ventures in the region. These include branded residential projects in Riyadh through a partnership with Dar Global, and a luxury golf resort in Qatar in collaboration with Qatari Diar, which is backed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund. Similar developments are planned in Jeddah and Oman.
Crypto and Investment Deals Raise Red Flags
At the same Dubai crypto conference, an Abu Dhabi state-backed investment firm selected World Liberty Financial’s stablecoin, USD, to support a $2 billion investment in Binance—the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. The move effectively links the Trump-affiliated digital currency to one of the most significant crypto investments in the region.
Asked about the deal, Trump told reporters: “I don’t know anything about it.”
The Trump family’s influence in the region also extends to Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf, which maintains a close relationship with the Trump Organization and has hosted major tournaments at Trump-owned properties.
“There’s a pretty glaring conflict of interest here,” said Jon Hoffman, a foreign policy researcher at the libertarian Cato Institute, referencing the deep ties between Trump-affiliated businesses and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Old Partners, New Deals
Trump’s enduring ties with regional figures are also being leveraged for major tech investments. In January, Dubai-based DAMAC Properties—headed by billionaire Hussain Sajwani—announced a $20 billion U.S. data center initiative. Although Trump positioned the deal as a win for American infrastructure, Sajwani is a long-time business associate whose relationship with the Trump family dates back nearly two decades.
White House Dismisses Ethics Concerns
The White House has downplayed concerns about the overlap between presidential duties and private interests. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called allegations of self-dealing “ridiculous,” adding that President Trump “is abiding by all conflict of interest laws.”
The Trump Organization maintains that the president is not involved in day-to-day operations, with his assets placed in a trust managed by his children. A voluntary ethics pledge bars direct deals with foreign governments, but it still allows private international agreements—creating what some ethics experts see as a significant loophole.
“The president is a successful businessman,” Leavitt stated. “That’s one of the many reasons people reelected him.”
A Legacy of Business in the Middle East
Trump’s commercial interests in the Middle East date back to 2005 with the proposed Trump Tower Dubai—an ambitious tulip-shaped hotel that never saw construction. However, in 2017, the Trump International Golf Club Dubai launched in partnership with Sajwani’s DAMAC Properties, marking the family’s first major completed project in the region.
Trump has long defended his business dealings while in office. “I have a no-conflict situation because I’m president,” he once said, declining a reported $2 billion deal from Sajwani early in his first term.
That same ally was by Trump’s side again this January, announcing their latest tech collaboration from the stage at Mar-a-Lago.
“It’s been amazing news for me and my family when he was elected in November,” Sajwani said. “For the last four years, we’ve been waiting for this moment.”
As Trump’s second term unfolds, the convergence of diplomacy and family enterprise in one of the world’s most strategically vital regions raises pressing questions about the boundaries of power, profit, and presidential propriety.
