The family business · Second term · № 51
Trump entities formed for hotel deal in crown prince-chaired Diriyah project days before his White House visit
“I have nothing to do with the family business. I have left, and when I've devoted 100 percent of my energy. What my family does is fine. They do business all over. They've done very little with Saudi Arabia, actually.”
- Date
- , Oval Office remarks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, November 18, 2025
- Subject
- Saudi Arabia
- Benefit
- Real estate and licensing
- Government
- Saudi Arabia
- Beneficiary
- Donald Trump and family members (Trump Organization)
- Topic
- Ethics & conflicts
- Era
- Second term
What happened
Forbes reported that in November 2025 a Trump representative created two companies, DT Diriyah Hotel Manager LLC and DT Diriyah Hotel Member Corp., which together gave the president an 80% stake in a hotel management agreement in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, with family members holding the remaining 20%. Trump's partner in the hotel deal was a Dar Global company, while the master plan for the area was developed by the Diriyah Company, which is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The New York Times reported that month that the Trump Organization was in talks for a Diriyah development, and Diriyah Company chief Jerry Inzerillo told the paper, "Nothing announced yet, but soon to be." On November 18, 2025 Trump hosted the crown prince at the White House, said the United States would sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia, announced its designation as a major non-NATO ally, and said of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi that the crown prince "knew nothing about it." White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Forbes, "There are no conflicts of interest," and Trump Organization representative Kimberly Benza said the deal did not come together at the same time as the president was discussing a nuclear agreement.
Sources
- Trump's Business Pursued Saudi Deal As He Conducted Nuclear Discussions
- Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia and an Exchange With Reporters
- Remarks at a Dinner With Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia: Freedom in the World 2025 Country Report