Jared Kushner’s firm received hundreds of millions of dollars from UAE and Qatar, report says

Jared Kushner’s private equity firm lands hundreds of millions of dollars in investment united arab emirates and QatarSaudi Arabia invested $2 billion in the venture shortly after former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law left the White House, The New York Times reported.

this Report A sovereign wealth fund in the United Arab Emirates invested more than $200 million in Affinity Partners, while an unnamed Qatari entity invested a similar amount, it said on Thursday. MEE reached out to the UAE and Qatari embassies in Washington for comment but did not hear back.

The reported investments appear to indicate continued efforts by Kushner and other senior members of the former Trump administration to profit from the close ties they developed with the Middle East during his presidency.

Kushner has developed close relationships with several senior figures across the Middle East, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, known by his initials MBS, over the years through emails, text messages and other form of contact to deal with them, the New York Times previously reported.

During his tenure in the Trump administration, the Saudi royal family gifted him two swords and a dagger worth nearly $48,000, which he paid the U.S. government after leaving office.

In 2021, he founded the Abraham Peace Accord Institute, which will focus on promoting trade and tourism between the four Arab countries and Israel.

Six months after leaving the Trump administration, Kushner received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The investment came despite objections from advisers to the Saudi Public Investment Fund, who pointed to the “inexperience” of the fund’s management.

U.S. House probes Jared Kushner’s business dealings with Saudi Arabia

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But despite Kushner’s forged relationships, Emirati and Qatari officials were initially reluctant to invest in his private equity fund, in part because of the political risks associated with the investment, people familiar with the deliberations within both governments told The New York Times.

Over the years, former U.S. officials have used their positions in the government to secure lucrative contracts with Gulf states. Some U.S. lawmakers have criticized it, but there are few laws to stop it.

In October 2022, two Washington Post investigations found that hundreds of retired U.S. military officers used their military backgrounds to land lucrative deals for foreign jobs, mostly in Gulf monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates between countries. At least 280 ex-servicemen have sought authorization to work for the UAE as military contractors or consultants.

In June of the same year, the House Oversight and Reform Committee roll out Investigate Kushner’s business dealings in the Middle East.

In a letter, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney requested documents regarding a $2 billion Saudi Arabian investment in Affinity Partners.