Albanian protests flare over $6.5 bn Trump-Kushner resort on protected coast

A plan to build a sprawling luxury resort on Sazan Island, adjacent to the protected Narta Lagoon, has ignited widespread protests across Albania, with thousands rallying in Tirana’s main square. The development, valued at $6.5 billion and backed by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, would feature thousands of rooms, a casino and a water park, and is slated to be operated by Aman. Environmental activist Aleksander Trajce, who leads the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania, says the scheme would devastate fragile habitats that host monk seals, loggerhead turtles and flamingos.

Parliamentarian Redi Muçi links the project to recent legal changes that allow five-star resorts in previously protected zones and to alleged land-deal corruption involving Albanian underworld connections and a Miami-based businessman, Arthur Shehu. Ivanka Trump’s story of "finding" the island on a private yacht has been widely mocked, as the island is public land and has been a tourist spot since 2015. While the tourism sector argues the investment could boost the economy, activists fear the ecological damage and legal battles will persist for years.