A developer from Australia has publicly split with the Trump family over LinkedIn. Meanwhile, a politician linked to grave desecration allegations has partnered with Trump’s real estate empire. While Donald Trump begins his second term in the U.S., the Trump Organization continues its global expansion, collaborating with an eclectic mix of international investors.
Expansion and Controversy Abroad
Since Trump secured his second presidential victory, the Trump Organization has unveiled over a dozen international ventures, according to the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. These projects span nine nations, including India and Romania, adding to existing or planned developments from his first term.
During Trump’s first presidency, the firm halted new international deals. Under his sons Eric and Donald Jr.’s leadership, however, the company has shifted strategy—avoiding direct government contracts while pursuing private-sector collaborations worldwide. Some of these partners include a Turkish media executive who later distanced himself from the Trump brand and a Georgian entrepreneur aiming to build high-end residences in Tbilisi.
The Dubai Partnership
Hussain Sajwani, CEO of Damac Properties, has been nicknamed the “Donald of Dubai” by financial publications. His company’s portfolio includes the 42-million-square-foot Damac Hills development, which opened the Middle East’s first Trump-branded golf course in 2017. Eric Trump and Donald Jr. attended the inauguration as special guests.
The relationship has deepened since Trump’s reelection. In January 2025, the president-elect announced Damac would invest at least $20 billion in U.S. data centers. Sajwani has also been photographed at Mar-a-Lago alongside Elon Musk. Known for luxury real estate in the Middle East and London—including promotional offers like free Lamborghinis for buyers—Damac made headlines in 2022 when it purchased the Champlain Towers South collapse site in Surfside, Florida, for $120 million. The firm was the sole bidder for the property where 98 people died in the 2021 disaster.
Projects in Georgia and Australia
In Georgia, the Trump Organization, Alex Sapir’s firm, and Archi Group plan to transform Tbilisi’s skyline with a 62-story condominium tower overlooking the city’s new Central Park. The building will be Georgia’s tallest structure and the first phase of a $2 billion, six-tower complex called Downtown Tbilisi. The partnership was celebrated last month with a launch event featuring traditional Georgian dance and aerial fireworks.
Related Post: Top Lobbying Firms Drive New York Real Estate Projects Forward
Sapir’s collaboration with the Trump family dates back decades. His father, Tamir, was born in Tbilisi before building a Manhattan real estate empire, including 11 Madison Avenue, 100 Church Street, and the Trump Soho hotel-condo. Alex later developed the Arte condominium in Surfside, Florida, where Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner leased the penthouse in 2021. Recently, he sold properties in New York and Miami.
Sapir connected the Trump Organization with Archi Group, Georgia’s largest developer, led by Ilia Tsulaia, a former lawmaker described by The Wall Street Journal as “aligned” with the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party. The Tbilisi project has drawn scrutiny due to its political ties: the land was acquired in 2023 from a foundation controlled by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s family. Ivanishvili, Georgia’s prime minister in 2012–2013 and a founder of Georgian Dream, was sanctioned by the U.S. in December 2024 for undermining democracy.
Across the Pacific, Atlus Property Group initially aimed to construct Australia’s tallest building, a Trump-branded tower with a 285-room luxury hotel, targeting the Gold Coast’s pre-Olympic (2032) real estate surge. However, the project was abandoned in May. CEO David Young stated on LinkedIn that the “brand in this country has become toxic to Australians,” insisting there was “no acrimony” with the Trump family, calling the decision a “pure business” move.
Separately, Aydin Dogan, a Turkish media mogul-turned-investor, partnered with Trump for the Trump Tower Istanbul complex, which opened in 2012. Dogan secured a licensing agreement but faced pressure after Trump proposed a “Muslim ban” during his 2016 campaign. Turkey’s president urged Dogan to remove the Trump name, but contractual obligations prevented it.
Additional Global Ventures
In Vietnam, the Trump Organization is developing a $1.5 billion resort with Hung Yen Hospitality. The deal, signed in September 2024, included a $5 million licensing fee from Dang Thanh Tam’s company.
In Indonesia, the Trump Organization has partnered with Hary Tanoesoedibjo, a businessman and political figure who founded his own party. His conglomerate, MNC, encountered setbacks at a Trump-branded Jakarta project last year due to environmental and water concerns, prompting a government work halt. Tanoesoedibjo has faced corruption allegations and was briefly detained in 2017 for allegedly threatening a prosecutor. Investigations also accused him of exhuming graves to accelerate construction at a delayed resort, as reported by The Washington Post.
