Story highlights
Donald Trump calls for U.S. Muslim immigration ban
Trump International Dubai course to go ahead
He might have been engulfed by a firestorm of criticism in calling for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, but some good news came Donald Trump’s way from the Middle East Tuesday
The Trump Organization owns 17 golf venues around the world, with the Trump International Golf Club close to completion in Dubai.
And his United Arab Emirates business partners were quick to stress that the Republican presidential frontrunner’s claim that there would be “many more World Trade Centers” if his plan was not put in place wouldn’t have any impact on the golf club’s future.
“We would like to stress that our agreement is with the Trump Organisation as one of the premium golf course operators in the world and as such we would not comment further on Mr. Trump’s personal or political agenda, nor comment on the internal American political debate scene,” DAMAC Properties’ Senior Vice President Niall McLoughlin told CNN.
Though a number of social media users did ask the question whether Trump should be abandoning the UAE golf development given his controversial comments about temporarily banning Muslim immigration to the U.S.
Trump’s website says the Dubai project, due to be completed in 2016, will be a “world-class golf course, exceeding all expectations – there will be nothing like it in the region and beyond.”
Other Trump Organization golf venues including British Open venue Turnberry, which is undergoing a multimillion dollar revamp, and the famed Doonbeg course in Ireland.
Trump’s controversial comments earlier this year about Mexican immigrants “bringing crime” and “being rapists” led to the PGA of America taking October’s Grand Slam of Golf away from Trump Los Angeles.
British Open organizer the R&A said at the time it would not make any immediate decisions about Turnberry continuing on the rota for which club hosts the prestigious major.
The Scottish venue last hosted the British Open in 2009 when Stewart Cink beat fellow American Tom Watson in a playoff.
The next available date the year’s third major could be staged at Trump Turnberry is 2020.
