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Thousands have taken to the streets in Albania over a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. (Getty Images via AFP)
Albania is witnessing growing protests and political controversy over a multi-billion-dollar luxury tourism project linked to US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
The project, which envisions high-end hotels and villas along Albania’s Adriatic coast, has triggered demonstrations, legal scrutiny and allegations of irregular approvals, even as the government defends it as a major foreign investment opportunity.
Planned resorts on protected land
The development was first announced in 2024 and targets two sensitive coastal areas: the Vjosa-Narta delta, a protected wetland zone, and Sazan island, a former communist-era military base now largely uninhabited.
Sazan island alone is reportedly part of a proposed $1.6 billion investment, while Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has referred to a wider project worth up to four billion euros covering the Vlora region.
In late 2024, authorities granted “strategic investor” status to a company linked to Kushner’s investment network, a designation that allows faster approvals and administrative support.
Ivanka Trump has visited the region with architects and investors and met Prime Minister Rama to discuss the project’s progress.
🇦🇱 Albanian protesters clashed with police on the fourth day of protests against the resort investment project in Zvernec linked to Jared Kushner.Police used water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Authorities said the road had been blocked due to the Albania-Israel football… pic.twitter.com/K2GTyTnhqv
— kos_data (@kos_data) June 3, 2026
However, details about funding and corporate structure remain unclear, with questions raised over the identity of firms involved and the legality of land acquisitions.
Protests, probes and environmental fears
Environmental groups and civil society organisations argue the project threatens one of Albania’s most ecologically sensitive coastal zones. More than 40 organisations have called for the plan to be suspended, warning it could harm biodiversity in the Vjosa-Narta area.
Opposition has intensified after videos showed construction machinery near the coast, with protesters clashing with private security forces after access to parts of the beach was restricted.
Thousands have since demonstrated in the capital Tirana over several nights, demanding the project be halted and disputed land claims dating back to the post-communist period be addressed.
Authorities have also confirmed that Albania’s special anti-corruption prosecutor has opened an investigation into the project. The probe is expected to examine changes to protected land status, the awarding of contracts without public tenders, and the origins of investment funds.
(With inputs from AFP)
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