Middle East real estate tycoon palling with Trump and Musk in Florida: report
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, a steady stream of billionaires and well-connected special interest figures have been lining up to meet with or ingratiate themselves to him, as exemplified by the string of tech companies contributing to his inauguration fund. But there's one particular entity whose presence at Mar-a-Lago alongside Trump and his big tech ally Elon Musk is striking, reported Salon.
"Hussain Sajwani's presence at Trump's New Year’s Eve party was not surprising," reported Daria Solovieva. "He and his family have attended it in previous years, including in 2017, when Trump called them 'the most beautiful people in Dubai,' according to The Associated Press. They have maintained strong business connections with the Trump Organization through projects in the United Arab Emirates." And returning to form, wrote Solovieva, Sajwani "showed off a picture with the president-elect and Musk from the New Year’s Eve celebration on his Instagram page."
Sajwani is specifically known as a massive power broker in the UAE's real estate industry and beyond, the report continued.
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His company, known as DAMAC Properties, "is renowned for opulent developments like the Cavalli Tower and its collaborations with Versace," said the report. Furthermore, Sajwani's dealings "extend far beyond the small UAE: DAMAC has offices in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, China and Singapore" — and he has partnered with the Trump Organization to build a golf course in Dubai, prior to Trump's first term in office.
As all this is going on, the Trump Organization, under the leadership of Trump's son Eric, is planning several new projects in the Middle East, and DAMAC has reportedly acquired the rights to construct a new Trump Tower in Abu Dhabi.
The Trump family's Middle East deals have long come under scrutiny, given how much sway Trump has held over the region in his capacity as a foreign policy maker. In particular, controversy stemmed from his family's partnerships with Saudi Arabia, after he became close with the country's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as he was under scrutiny for involvement the murder of Saudi-born Washington Post journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi.
Legendary reporter Bob Woodward has alleged Trump admitted to him he helped "cover up" that killing.