Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed reports Dubai rental and $100K developer debt
Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed disclosed ownership of a Dubai rental home and a liability of up to $100,000 to a luxury developer.
Left-leaning Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed filed a financial disclosure that reveals he owns a single-family rental home in Dubai and owes between $50,000 and $100,000 to Majid Al Futtaim Tilal Al Ghaf Phase A LLC, a subsidiary of the Emirati conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim Holdings. The debt relates to a payment plan for a unit in the Tilal Al Ghaf gated community, promoted as a luxury, resort-style development with a lagoon and white-sand beaches.
El-Sayed explained the timing of the filing, noting his wife’s family’s foreign property holdings made the paperwork complex. The disclosure also lists rental income from his Ann Arbor, Michigan property and a Bangalore, India home, and places his total earnings among Michigan’s top-1 percent earners. Critics have highlighted the contrast between his working-class platform and the overseas assets, while El-Sayed dismissed the focus on foreign holdings as a stereotype. The campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
Why it matters
Voters see how a self-styled working-class champion’s foreign assets align with his campaign message.
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