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Whatever your opinion of Donald Trump as a celebrity, businessman and now president, the tycoon-turned-politician’s expanding international golf portfolio is difficult to ignore.
With the bulk of Trump’s golf courses situated in the United States, nowhere is that growth more visible than here in the Middle East, where the Trump Organisation currently has established one operational golf club and three major developments across the Gulf underway.
Together, they show the footprint of Donald Trump in one of the world’s most geopolitically significant regions.
UAE
Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, remains the cornerstone of the organisation’s Middle East development.
Opened in 2016, the club features an 18-hole championship course designed by Gil Hanse, alongside a 30,000-square-foot clubhouse overlooking the 9th and 18th greens. The venue combines high-end golf with lifestyle amenities, including a restaurant, a sports lounge, a fully equipped gymnasium, and an infinity swimming pool.
The club also houses a performance academy, complete with an award-winning floodlit par-3 course for night golf, an indoor swing studio, and a double-sided driving range with short-game facilities.
In 2014, Dubai also looked to be home to an additional Trump-developing project: Trump World Golf Club, set to be designed by Tiger Woods. However, the project was put on hold.
Oman
The next phase of Trump’s expansion comes in Oman, where Eric Trump has partnered with Dar Global to launch Trump International Oman.
Set within the vast AIDA development near Muscat, the $500 million project is scheduled to open in December 2028 and represents one of the country’s most ambitious tourism and real estate initiatives.
Trump International Oman
Perched more than 100 metres above sea level and surrounded by canyons and coastline, the development will feature an 18-hole championship golf course, a members-only club, a golf academy, and the Cliff Hanging Night Club.
Developed in partnership with Omran Group, the project spans 3.5 million square metres. Its first phase is expected to be completed in 2027, positioning Oman as an increasingly competitive luxury destination in the Gulf.
Qatar
In Qatar, the Trump Organisation has announced plans for a large-scale luxury golf resort development north of Doha.
The estimated $3 billion project will include the 18-hole Trump International Golf Club alongside Trump-branded beachfront villas. It marks the organisation’s first new international deal since Trump originally took office in 2017.
Trump International Doha, Qatar
The development is being delivered in collaboration with Dar Global and Qatari Diar, although the Trump Organisation has stated its formal agreement is with Dar Global.
The move will expand Qatar’s relatively small portfolio of championship golf venues, which currently includes Doha Golf Club and Education City Golf Club.
Saudi Arabia
Trump International Golf Club Wadi Safar, Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
Trump’s Middle East golf footprint is set to expand further with Trump International, Wadi Safar, in Saudi Arabia.
Located just outside Riyadh, the 2.6 million square metre development sits within Wadi Safar, part of the wider Diriyah master plan and a flagship component of the Kingdom’s Saudi Vision 2030.
The project, backed by Dar Al Arkan and Dar Global, will centre on a championship golf course integrated into a gated community featuring a Trump-branded hotel and luxury residences.
While full design details have yet to be revealed, the course is expected to utilise the area’s natural desert terrain, with wadis and elevation changes shaping its layout.
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Main Image: Trump Organisation
