New satellite images at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Saudi Arabia for which there are plans to create a "multibillion-dollar tourism hub" have caught the attention of President Donald Trump's family business, according to Newsweek's Middle East reporter Amira El-Fekki.
"American engineering firm Parsons Corporation is leading phase two of the design and construction in the historic city of Diriyah, northwest of Saudi capital Riyadh, as part of a recent contract worth $56 million," El-Fekki explains.
"Diriyah — home to the At‑Turaif UNESCO site — is undergoing a major transformation into a $63 billion international business attraction," she adds.
Parsons, focused on defense, intelligence and critical infrastructure, has had a very cozy relationship with the Trump administration, announcing a collaboration with IBM to design a new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in alignment with the vision of Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Parsons most recently won contracts for infrastructure and urban development projects in the Middle East, including serving as the Project Management Office for the King Salman Park Foundation in Saudi Arabia.
"Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in tourism projects to diversify its economy and rebrand politically. Lingering human rights concerns overshadowed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s November visit to the White House, where he cemented his status as a major Trump ally," El-Fekki writes.
The Trump Organization is already involved in projects in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East, El-Fekki explains, and "is reportedly planning to develop new property in Diriyah."
"The U.S. president's family business interests in the Gulf and globally have raised questions over potential conflicts of interest, although Trump has always denied any inappropriate conduct," she notes.
Diriyah Company, owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) overseeing the country's massive projects, is redeveloping 5.4 square miles of Diriyah, she explains.
Jerry Inzerillo, the Diriyah Company CEO, told The New York Times that it was "just a matter of time” before the Trump Organization sealed a deal about a branded property at the site.
Trump, meanwhile, says he has nothing to do with any of it.
"I have nothing to do with the family business. I have left, and I've devoted 100 percent of my energy. What my family does is fine. They do business all over," he said in November.
