Dubai's DAMAC Properties Paid Trump Millions Amid New UAE Project Plans

Dubai-based real estate developer DAMAC Properties transferred $12.5 million in licensing fees to entities owned by Donald Trump during his first year back in office. This substantial payment, revealed through Trump's financial disclosures, more than doubles any previous annual amount recorded in his filings since 2015.

The increase was driven by payments from two DAMAC subsidiaries, DAMAC Properties Investment LLC and DAMAC Sky View Real Estate LLC. These funds were directed to new Trump companies, DT Marks Al Raha Beach LLC and DT Marks Abu Dhabi LLC, which are believed to be associated with unannounced Trump-branded real estate developments in Abu Dhabi.

US Data Center Expansion

Concurrently with these payments and the potential UAE developments, another arm of the DAMAC Group, DAMAC Digital, was advancing plans for its initial data center projects in the United States. DAMAC Chairman Hussain Sajwani had announced plans to invest $20 billion into US data center development, following a press conference at Mar-a-Lago where Trump reportedly suggested expedited reviews for these projects.

Current efforts by DAMAC Digital include building data centers in Canton, Ohio, and Edgerton, Kansas, with corporate records suggesting further plans in Illinois. A press release from January 2025 also identified six additional US states as targets for future data center investments.

Further linking these activities, Trump signed an executive order in July 2025 titled "Accelerating federal permitting of data center infrastructure." Notably, the Trump entity DT Marks Al Raha Beach LLC was formed in Delaware on the very same day the executive order was issued. The other new company, DT Marks Abu Dhabi LLC, was established ten days after Trump's inauguration. Each new Trump company received $5 million in licensing fees from DAMAC subsidiaries.