Protesters in Albania via Flickr
Thousands of Albanians protested in the capital this week against a major coastal resort project linked to Jared Kushner, as environmental groups, local residents, and opposition voices demanded the government halt development in one of the country’s most sensitive coastal areas.
Demonstrators gathered outside Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office in the Albanian capital, Tirana, holding signs reading “Albania is not for sale,” “Nation is not for sale,” and “I don’t want Albania like Dubai.” Some protesters also chanted “Ivanka, go home,” a reference to Kushner’s wife, Ivanka Trump.
LIVE – The third day of protests in Tirana has brought even more citizens into the streets. Protesters oppose the dubious tourism project in the south of Albania, backed by Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law.#Albania #Zvernec https://t.co/6vvhTgoCZr pic.twitter.com/PSlKMAPpBL
— Tirana Report (@Tirana_Report) June 2, 2026
Thousands of Albanians protested in the capital this week against a major coastal resort project linked to Jared Kushner, as environmental groups, local residents, and opposition voices demanded the government halt development in one of the country’s most sensitive coastal areas.
Demonstrators gathered outside Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office in Tirana, holding signs reading “Albania is not for sale,” “Nation is not for sale,” and “I don’t want Albania like Dubai.” Some protesters also chanted “Ivanka, go home,” a reference to Kushner’s wife, Ivanka Trump.
The project involves plans for a large luxury tourism development on the uninhabited island of Sazan and in the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape near Zvernec, in southern Albania. The area includes wetlands, beaches, and habitats used by flamingos, seals, and sea turtles.
The development has been linked to Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners, and Sazan Real Estate Development LLC. Kushner announced plans in 2024 for major projects in Albania, including the transformation of Sazan, once a secret communist military base, into a luxury tourism destination.
The estimated value of the resort project has been reported at around €1.4 billion, or roughly $1.6 billion. Plans discussed publicly include hotel complexes and as many as 10,000 hotel rooms.
Ivanka Trump revealed she’s building a massive 1,400-hectare private island resort in the Mediterranean that has no existing power, everything constructed from scratch.
She found it by swimming to it off a friend’s boat.
Add five miles of beachfront across the way and “some… pic.twitter.com/etiCU4XzvA
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 2, 2026
Environmental organizations say the project could affect several hundred hectares of protected or ecologically sensitive coastline. Around 40 environmental groups previously called for the plans to be suspended, citing risks to biodiversity and damage to one of Albania’s most important coastal landscapes.
“We want all construction to halt and heavy machines out of the protected area,” said Joni Vorpsi, an ecologist with PPNEA-BirdLife Albania. “This would be a new city with around 10,000 rooms and it will completely destroy that wild region.”
The protests intensified after large barbed-wire fences were installed near the proposed site in Zvernec, blocking local access to the beach. The fencing triggered an initial demonstration over the weekend, followed by larger protests in Tirana.
Update: Protests escalated in the Zvernec area.
According to protesters, private security personnel “kidnapped” a protester and used pepper spray against protesters and Albanian police.
The protest was attended by the leader of Albania’s left-wing Bashke party. https://t.co/akrM39ghpK pic.twitter.com/kwJZ3hrthw
— kos_data (@kos_data) May 30, 2026
Tensions escalated when private security guards clashed with demonstrators at the site. Footage reportedly showed guards assaulting and dragging a protester near a cliff while others tried to remove fencing and stop work.
Following the incident, Albanian authorities revoked the licenses of two private security companies. One guard was arrested and detained, while several police officers were suspended or removed from duties.
Authorities also charged around 15 protesters after the confrontation. The clashes have broadened the controversy from an environmental dispute into a debate over public access, policing, private security, and the influence of foreign-backed development projects.
Albania’s special anti-corruption prosecution office, known as SPAK, has opened an investigation related to the project. Prosecutors said they are examining land titles, funding used to acquire property, and changes to the area’s protected status.
SPAK confirmed that the probe concerns controversial changes in 2024 that helped open the door to tourism development in the area. The office has not publicly accused Kushner, Affinity Partners, or project developers of wrongdoing.
Developers involved in the project have said they intend to proceed responsibly.
“Our focus remains on responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation, and creating long-term value for local communities,” said Asher Abehsera, chairman of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC. “We respect the ongoing public and institutional processes.”
Prime Minister Rama, for his part, has defended the project as part of his broader effort to turn Albania into a more competitive tourism destination. He has argued that the country should remain open to investors while maintaining fairness and institutional procedures.
“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,” Rama said in a statement.
Rama also said the investment would not be stopped under his leadership. “There is absolutely no chance that the investment will stop as long as I am here,” he said.
Speaking to lawmakers, Rama denied that the project encroaches on a protected wildlife reserve. He said a final proposal had not yet been submitted and that the environmental study had not been completed.
On Tuesday, Rama invited protesters to choose a delegation of about 20 people to discuss possible solutions with the government. Protesters rejected the proposal and announced plans for additional demonstrations.
The controversy has placed Albania’s development ambitions under scrutiny at a sensitive political moment. The country is seeking to join the European Union by 2030 and has opened all negotiating chapters in the accession process.
SPAK itself was established with EU and American support as part of Albania’s justice reforms in 2019. It has become one of the country’s most trusted institutions after investigating and prosecuting officials across the political spectrum.
Kushner’s business interests in the Balkans have already drawn scrutiny. His firm previously pursued a large-scale development in Serbia involving a former army headquarters in Belgrade, but that project was later dropped following protests and investigations by local anti-corruption authorities.
For now, the Albanian resort dispute remains unresolved. The government says investment and tourism development will continue, while protesters and environmental groups say they will keep pushing to protect Sazan, Zvernec, and the Vjosa-Narta coastline from large-scale construction.
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