Muslim-majority Albania has approved a €1.4 billion luxury resort project linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – approved by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and covering part of Sazan Island, a former military zone and ecologically sensitive coastline.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Albania’s capital Tirana on Monday under the slogan “Albania is not for sale,” marching from Skanderbeg Square to the Prime Minister’s office in opposition to a controversial luxury tourism development linked to American investor Jared Kushner.
Demonstrators carried banners, Albanian flags and placards demanding the protection of the country’s coastline and accusing the government of sacrificing public land and protected ecosystems for private interests.
The protests centre on plans to transform Sazan Island and parts of the nearby Narta-Zvernec coastal area near Vlora into an exclusive tourism destination.
The wider development, valued at around $4 billion, would encompass hundreds of acres of protected land and wetlands that environmentalists describe as one of the most ecologically significant areas in the Adriatic.
The project is backed by Kushner’s investment network, which has already received “strategic investor” status from the Albanian government for related developments in the country.
Environmental organisations, local residents and opposition activists argue that the project threatens sensitive habitats home to flamingos, pelicans, sea turtles and other protected species.
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More than 40 environmental groups have previously called for the suspension of the development, warning that construction could irreversibly damage the Vjosa-Narta ecosystem and surrounding coastal wetlands.
Critics have also raised concerns over property rights, particularly regarding land used or claimed by local families, including members of Albania’s Greek minority.
Recent tensions escalated when protesters attempting to access the proposed construction zone clashed with private security guards.
Several demonstrators and police officers were reportedly affected by pepper spray during the confrontation, prompting the security company involved to suspend some employees.
For many protesters, however, the issue extends beyond environmental protection. Demonstrators have accused Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government of paving the way for the project through legislative changes to Albania’s protected areas framework and by granting preferential treatment to foreign investors.
Anti-corruption concerns have also emerged, with scrutiny focusing on how permits were obtained and how protected land was made available for development.
Kushner’s resort craving
Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump and founder of Affinity Partners, has become an increasingly prominent investor in the Balkans.
In addition to the Albanian developments, he has pursued major real estate projects in Serbia and elsewhere in the region.
Supporters argue that such investments will create jobs, attract wealthy visitors and accelerate Albania’s transformation into a luxury tourism destination.
Yet the controversy has been amplified by Kushner’s previous comments regarding Gaza.
In 2024, he sparked outrage after describing Gaza’s coastline as potentially “very valuable waterfront property” and suggesting that civilians could be moved while the territory was redeveloped.
Those remarks drew widespread criticism and renewed attention to his growing portfolio of high-end real estate projects around the world.
The Albanian government insists that the Sazan and Zvernec developments comply with legal and environmental requirements and argues that luxury tourism is essential to the country’s economic future.
Opponents, however, say the demonstrations reflect a broader concern that Albania’s natural heritage is being commodified and handed over to powerful foreign investors at the expense of local communities and environmental protections.
