(Daily Caller) Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s efforts to capitalize on their more than a billion-dollar development of an island off the coast of Albania are sparking massive protests in the Balkan nation.
Together, Kushner and Trump are in the process of developing a private luxury resort with over 10,000 hotel rooms on Sazan Island in Albania, with $1.6 billion worth of construction set to take place; however, these plans have been met with widespread protests by local Albanians and posts on X, an array of media reports show.
🔴 Protests continue in Albania over a planned tourism development linked to US President Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner
➥ Demonstrators raise environmental concerns and accuse authorities of opening protected areas to large-scale construction… pic.twitter.com/iNp97SKBH3
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) June 3, 2026
Sazan is Albania’s only island.
As a guest on the All-In Podcast, Kushner told the venture capital hosts that he came across the island during a vacation stay on his friend Nathaniel Rothschild’s yacht, The New Miami Times reported
Protesters made their case known from the Albanian coast to as far as the Albanian capital of Tirana that the development plans are not welcome.
🇦🇱🇺🇸 Jared Kushner’s $1.6 billion luxury resort plan in Albania is under anti-corruption investigation.
The project would turn a protected Adriatic coastal reserve into a 10,000-room tourism destination, and critics say the government quietly changed land protections to make it… https://t.co/vd9xMhg3oi
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 4, 2026
Top concerns among the Albanian picketers are environmental and also pertain to allegations of governmental corruption, given the fact that the island was riddled with red tape until President Trump took office
The waters surrounding the island as well as the island itself have been described as one of Europe’s “most environmentally sensitive areas,” according to Mother Jones. Before the plans to develop were approved, the island’s wetlands were deemed a government-protected national park for ecological preservation reasons, the outlet noted.
The area is home to robust biodiversity that includes flamingos, seals, as well as sea turtle nesting sites, POLITICO Europe reported.
On the corruption front, after President Donald Trump was elected to the White House again in 2024, the Albanian government handed Atlantic Incubation Partners, an LLC tied to Jared Kushner, a “strategic investor” status, which paved the way for the longstanding environmental protections to be lifted.
Despite the backlash, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has signaled his support and has no plans to halt the development from moving forward, saying, “There is absolutely no chance that the investment will stop as long as I am here,” according to The Guardian.
Rama also denied allegations that the billion-dollar project will have any negative impacts on wildlife, the Guardian noted.
Chanting “Cancel the project” and holding banners reading “Albania is not for sale” and “Ivanka, go home” – a reference to Kushner’s wife – the protesters demanded that the government block the resort project, which has raised concerns about environmental damage and corruption.… pic.twitter.com/9dmhitUFlD
— Rudi (@Rudi46772946) June 3, 2026
The uninhabited island has a history of being utilized for military purposes in the last century.
During World War I, Italy seized the island and, in 1920, established a military presence there until the end of World War II. During their occupation, the government erected several structures, such as a lighthouse and several Italian naval buildings, according to The Sun.
After World War II, the Italian government ceded the island back to Albania, and it has been largely uninhabited ever since, except for a military outpost.
The Daily Caller reached out to Kushner’s office but has not received a response as of publication.
