Donald swings golf in Dubai

DUBAI The American president’s sons opened the Trump International Golf Club Saturday as Dubai hosted the first foreign launch of a venue bearing Donald Trump’s name since he took office.

The Trump International Golf Club, developed in the glitzy Gulf city state by luxury real estate firm DAMAC Properties, was inaugurated by the billionaire’s sons Eric and Donald Jr.

The event marks the Trump Organisation’s first public overseas launch since the president’s 20 January inauguration.

Fireworks crackled above the golf course late Saturday, as inside the club the Trump brothers posed for selfies with guests.

“We’re gonna have a lot of fun years together,” Eric Trump told DAMAC chairman Hussain Sajwani during the speeches.

Trump’s sons then left, as they had arrived, in a fleet of four-wheel-drives and diplomatic vehicles under police escort.

The venue was carpeted in red for the opening, with a maquette of the sprawling green, spa and club facilities at the entrance.

“We have brought Beverly Hills right to your doorstep,” said a promotional video.

Guests wearing traditional dress, including white gandouras and black abayas, mingled with others in suits and fur wraps.

While the deal predates Trump’s 2016 election, the golf club’s opening coincides with controversy over the policies and politics of the tycoon president, and potential conflicts of interest.

The correlation between wealth and politics is nothing new, and American presidents are not required by law to give up their investments or businesses.

Critics have raised questions over the ethics and constitutionality of Trump’s ties to governments and business executives, however.

Trump says he has transferred control of the Trump Organisation to his two eldest sons, and the business empire has said it will not pursue new deals outside the United States.

But despite calls by ethics watchdogs, the president has resisted complete divestment from his businesses.

Watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), 23 January filed a lawsuit citing payments from guests at his hotels — and golf courses — as well as leases with foreign governments as forms of cash and favours.

The suit, which does not seek monetary damages, cites the emoluments clause, a scantly noticed passage in the US constitution.

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