How the idea for a Trump tower was born in Damascus | Syria

FOrty-Five Storeys Tall, a potential price of $ 200 million (£ 150 million) and “Trump” in gold in his crown, that's Trump Tower Damascus. A shiny monument Definitely to return to the international stage torn by the war.

As the gold writings suggest, the striking building was developed to attract the attention of the US president.

“This project is our message of this country, which has suffered and whose people have been warming for many years, especially in the past 15 years, are exhausted,” said Walid Mohammad Al-Zoubi, chairman of the Turm-Damascus, which is based in the VAE, with 5 billion USD.

The construction of the tower was proposed to rewrite the US President, since the new government of Syria applied for the removal of US sanctions and normalization in the relationship with Washington. In addition to an offer, there was access to the possibilities of Syria oil and investment as well as guarantees for the security of Israel.

Syria had been under US sanctions since 1979, which intensified after the fatal approach of peaceful demonstrators by the then President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. Despite the displacement of Assad in December, the United States maintained sanctions against the country that deals with the new Islamist government.

Syria's proposal, together with the establishment of the DE-FACTO leader Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, was successful. Last week Trump announced all US sanctions against Syria and met the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and called him an “attractive” and “hard” man.

With the cancellation of sanctions and connections to strengthen Washington, Trump Tower can move the page to reality. Zoubi drives to Damascus this week to formally build for the high -rise building.

“We look at several locations. We propose 45 floors that are increased or reduced depending on the planning,” said Zoubi, adding that the costs for the construction of the trading storm would be between 100 and 200 million US dollars.

After receiving the building permit, Zoubi has to contact the Trump brand for franchising rights. Pictures that are shared with the Guardian of the building mode do not contain the Trump logo because the franchise permit is still being obtained.

The construction, he estimated, would take three years as soon as he received the legal permits from the Syrian government and the rights of the Trump Business Organization.

Nevertheless, there are obstacles, since the process of removal of sanctions is still unclear, while the destroyed economy and the fragile political environment of Syria could make the project difficult.

The Syrian-Emirati businessman employs one of Trump Tower Istanbul's project lines and has built 270 projects in the Middle East. He is now building Tiger Sky Tower in Dubai, a USD 1 billion project that claims to have the “highest infinity pool” worldwide. He also met Sharaa in January before he was appointed President of Syria.

The idea for Trump Tower Damascus was born in December after the US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson had experienced the idea in a speech before the congress.

“The main idea was to attract President Trump's attention,” said Radwan Ziadeh, a Syrian writer who is close to the Syrian President. He approached Zoubi with the idea of ​​building Trump Tower and the two began to work on the project.

The approach was part of a multi -stage magic offensive that Syria was supposed to put on Trump's agenda. The president made only a few comments about Syria when he took office and the path managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seemed to be long.

Syria's president was hosting the US businessmen and members of the Congress in Damascus, the prisons of Assad era and Christian villages around the capital. In the meantime, the Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met spiritual leaders near the Trump government when visiting the UN in New York.

When diplomacy continued, the Trump Tower seemed to be a way, Trump's unorthodox taste and the conspiracy of the border between his family business and the political office, especially in the Middle East, rejuvenated, where he received a luxury plane from Qatar.

At the beginning of April, Zeadeh took an initial model of the tower and handed it over to Shibani, who was “very enthusiastic about it”. He also gave the Saudi ambassador in Damascus with the hope that Trump's team would achieve it via Riad.

“This is how you win your mind and heart,” said Ziadeh. He became more confident about his strategy after a video published by Trump in February showed a Trump tower as part of his controversial proposal to effectively displace Palestinians and to build a luxury rivier in the Palestinian territory.

Syrians not only won the hearts and minds in the United States, but hope that a large real estate project such as the Trump Tower will invite further international investments in Syria.

Large investments are required in infrastructure and basic services beyond glittering investment projects. The UN estimates that 90% of Syrian people live in poverty and live most of the day without electricity or access to proper medical care.

Zoubi shared one side by side of the Damascus skyline, an explosion that was replaced by a high -rise building made of steel and glass.

“The project is about how the Wartornland passes to a place of light and beauty … it is symbolic and contributes to security and peace,” said Zoubi.