Thousands of Albanians filled the streets of Tirana on Tuesday night to voice opposition to a proposed luxury resort tied to Jared Kushner's investment firm. Organizers and environmental groups say the €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) development would be built on an island off Albania and on a stretch of undeveloped coastline adjacent to the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape, a wetland known for flamingos, seals and sea turtle nesting sites.
The project is being advanced by Sazan Real Estate Development LLC in partnership with Affinity Partners, Kushner's investment vehicle. Developers have described the plan as a major investment opportunity for the region and have pledged responsible execution. In a statement, Asher Abehsera, chairman of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, said: "Our focus remains on responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation, and creating long-term value for local communities. We respect the ongoing public and institutional processes," emphasizing the company's stated intent to balance development with local interests.
Affinity Partners and Kushner did not respond to requests for comment.
Protesters gathered outside the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama on Tuesday evening, carrying inflatable flamingoes and placards with slogans including "Nation is not for sale" and "I don’t want Albania like Dubai". Demonstrators demanded an immediate halt to construction and removal of heavy machinery from the site. Joni Vorpsi, an ecologist with the PPNEA-BirdLife Albania organisation, articulated the environmental group's position:
and warned of the scale of the proposal:"We want all construction to halt and heavy machines out of the protected area,"
"This would be a new city with around 10,000 rooms and it will completely destroy that wild region."
Prime Minister Rama defended the planned investment in a statement, warning against discouraging foreign capital. He said:
and added:"It is very important that we remain welcoming, that we remain fair, and that under no circumstances do we receive the stigma of being a country where investors are met with hostility,"
"There is absolutely no chance that the investment will stop as long as I am here."
Tensions over the development escalated after developers erected large barbed wire fences at the proposed site in Zvernec, near Vlora. Several hundred people subsequently gathered at the location and clashed with private security personnel on Saturday; a witness said some protesters were injured in those confrontations.
The resort announcement followed Kushner's 2024 plans for a broader investment package that included a project to convert a former army headquarters in Belgrade. The report notes that he relinquished the Serbia project last year after street protests against that development.
Currency conversion used in reporting: $1 = 0.8610 euros.