Jared Kushner’s business continues to return to the attention of the American press, and with it, his $1.4 billion investment in the island of Sazan.
This time it is the Financial Times that examines the progress of the ventures and investments of the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump from the Middle East to Europe. And with it, it also tells how the idea of the luxury resort was born at the abandoned Albanian navy base on the coast of Vlora.
For the first time since Trump’s re-election as US president, Prime Minister Edi Rama also commented on the luxury project for the prestigious media, describing it as an extremely good opportunity to attract elite tourism. “Trump’s proximity to this luxury project is a great added value, I can’t hide it,” says Rama.
“We need super-luxury tourism in this country like a desert needs water,” the chief executive adds, noting that “what you get from 500 yachts is the same as what you get from 40,000 budget tourists.”
How did this whole idea come about? Much simpler than you might think, according to the article.
Kushner was sailing the Mediterranean with his family in the summer of 2021, and as they anchored the yacht off the Albanian coast, he asked a friend to help him broker a meeting with Prime Minister Rama.
Over dinner, Rama, known for his friendly nature, struck up a rapport with Kushner and discussed how Albania’s stunning Adriatic coast is often overlooked by wealthy tourists moving between Italy and the Greek islands, the article says. “Kushner didn’t mention investments,” Rama recalls.
“He was just asking about Albania… They had practically no knowledge of Albanian history. The next day, they left.” When they met again a few months later in Davos, Rama says Kushner told him that he really liked Albania.
During that time, he had met with Mohamed Alabbar, the billionaire Saudi investor who is developing a luxury marina in the port of Durres, and they had discussed investment opportunities.
Kushner is returning to Albania in the summer of 2023 with a larger delegation, including Richard Grenell, a staunch Trump ally. “They stayed for about a week, visiting several areas,” Rama says. “This time, Kushner was direct, ‘we are interested in investing,’” the Financial Times notes.
On December 30, his initiative received the preliminary OK from the Albanian government, for what is being described by the media as one of the most prominent investments of Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners.
