In a surprising development that caught the attention of political and economic circles alike, the United Arab Emirates-based Tiger Real Estate Group announced its intention to build a skyscraper bearing the name of US President Donald Trump in the Syrian capital of Damascus.
The announcement followed Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria, which reportedly came in response to a direct request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the recent Riyadh summit.
The tower, expected to comprise 45 floors and cost around $200 million, is seen by its developers as symbolic of a new phase for Syria as it emerges from the ravages of war. It also opens the door for foreign investment to return to a country that has been isolated politically and economically for more than a decade.
“Trump Tower in Damascus is not merely a construction project; it is a message,” Tiger Group CEO Walid Al-Zoubi told The Media Line. “We want to tell the world that Syria is capable of recovery and deserves to be reintegrated into the global economic system.”
Al-Zoubi noted that his company is currently studying several potential sites within Damascus, with the possibility of adjusting the number of floors based on technical feasibility studies and regulatory approvals. He also confirmed that the company will submit an official request this week to obtain construction permits from the relevant authorities, while also proceeding with the process of acquiring a license to use the Trump name as a registered trademark.
He added that the name Trump will be engraved in gold on the tower’s facade, and that the construction phase could take up to three years following the acquisition of necessary permits and a legal agreement with the Trump Organization, which owns the brand.
Al-Zoubi said that he met with the new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in January and that the two spoke about the project as part of a broader plan to rebuild Syria’s capital and attract international investments.
US sanctions on Syria date back to 1979 and were significantly intensified after 2011 following the regime’s violent crackdown on peaceful protests. Although President Bashar Assad was ousted in December, the sanctions remained in place until Trump suddenly announced their removal earlier this month.
Diplomatic sources in Washington linked the decision to regional understandings between the US and Saudi Arabia related to a reshaping of geopolitical balances in the Middle East. The Trump Tower project may be one facet of these broader transformations.
Project carries implications beyond the economic sphere
Syrian economic analyst Samer Abdulhadi, who is based in Beirut, told The Media Line that the project carries implications beyond the economic sphere. “We are not looking at an ordinary investment here. It bears the name of a US president known for his controversial stances, and it comes directly after the lifting of sanctions,” he said. “This raises questions about whether there are broader political understandings at play, possibly extending beyond the Syrian issue itself.”
“Syria is in desperate need of developmental and reconstruction projects, but it remains unclear whether this initiative reflects a genuine shift toward economic openness or if it is an exceptional case tied to specific interests,” he added.
A media spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Economy told The Media Line that the government welcomes any investment project that contributes to economic recovery and creates job opportunities, provided it complies with local laws and construction standards.
The spokesperson said that the lifting of US sanctions “opens an important window for the country.” He emphasized that the Syrian government “will not allow investments to become a backdoor for political interference or the imposition of external conditions.”
“If the Trump Tower project is implemented within the legal framework and as part of a comprehensive developmental vision, it could be the beginning of renewed confidence in the Syrian economy,” he said.
Opinions of Syrian citizens in Damascus
The Media Line surveyed opinions of several Syrian citizens in Damascus about the project, revealing a spectrum of reactions ranging from cautious optimism to skepticism.
For Soha Al-Masri, a 34-year-old worker at a private company, the Trump name was less important than the project itself. “The country needs any project that brings jobs and injects liquidity into the market,” he said. “The name doesn’t matter. What’s important is that we begin rebuilding.”
By contrast, Hossam Al-Najjar, 42, a schoolteacher in the Mezzeh district, expressed doubts about the project’s intentions. “I don’t think this is an innocent initiative,” he said. “Trump is a highly political name, and it’s unlikely it would appear on a building in Damascus without there being something bigger behind it.”
Layla Abdulsalam, a university student studying economics, welcomed the idea. “If Trump Tower helps the world see us as a stable country capable of attracting investors, why not? We need any spark of hope,” she said.
It remains to be seen whether the Trump Tower project in Damascus will materialize and what the broader implications will be if it does. Will it be merely a real estate investment, or will it serve as a gateway to a new chapter in relations between Syria and the West?