Jared Kushner Eyes Middle East for Backers on New Fund
3 Min Read
Since his tenure as a White House Adviser for Donald Trump, Jared Kushner had a special interest in the Gulf due to its resources, and it seems that it will be his destination for support on his new fund.
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US White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner speaks during a visit to Rabat, Morocco, December 22, 2020 (Credit: Reuters)
Jared Kushner was the mastermind of the normalization agreements between various Arab states and the Israeli occupation, which brought the UAE and Bahrain to the normalization table, where they signed a declaration of treason to the Palestinian cause.
Since his tenure, Trump's son-in-law saw financial potential in the Arab states of the gulf over their resources and riches, forming personal relations with Saudi's MBS and providing support for the UAE on various occasions.
Now, not to waste his efforts after his father-in-law lost the election and therefore his office, Kushner maintained his presence in the region through establishing a nonprofit organization.
After establishing ties with the Gulf and lending a helping hand to them in times of need, Jared Kushner is now here to reclaim "favor", for he is seeking to raise money for a new investment firm of his founding from the Arab Gulf states - a plan that has not necessarily been met with success.
Qatar denied Kushner investments after he backed the UAE in a feud with Doha, and so did the state he backed - the UAE - after his business track record raised many questions.
Kushner could have been playing the long game when he supported Saudi King Mohammed bin Salman when intelligence reports arrived at the conclusion that he had directed the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi over his criticism of the KSA's crown family.
It seems that this paid off, for Saudi Arabia is quite interested in this investment opportunity, as it is negotiating with the former presidential adviser over a substantial investment in his new firm at a time when Kushner hopes for at least a few billion dollars by early 2022.
Kushner pursuing investments from Middle Eastern countries he had diplomatically dealt with on behalf of the United States while in a public office has raised many questions over his business ethics.
If Kushner makes a deal with Saudi Arabia, he would not be the only White House official under the Trump administration that made a business deal with ally Gulf states after the end of his tenure, as Steve Mnuchin, then-US Treasury Secretary, made investment deals with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar.
