Gaza Reconstruction Plan Envisioned “Trump Riviera” and Zones Named for Musk, Saudi & UAE Leaders
A controversial postwar plan for Gaza, reportedly developed by Israeli business leaders with financial modeling from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), outlined ambitious “mega-projects” including a resort area branded as a “Trump Riviera” and a manufacturing zone named in honor of Elon Musk. The plan, details of which emerged in a report by the Financial Times, has sparked scrutiny of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) due to staff involvement in related discussions.
The proposed reconstruction, conceived against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s stated interest in the Palestinian territory, aimed to attract significant private investment. According to the report, the scheme hinged on incentivizing a substantial portion – reportedly half a million – of Gaza’s population to relocate.
While the TBI maintains it did not author the plan, the Financial Times reported that two staff members participated in calls as the project evolved and were included in a message group alongside representatives from BCG and the Israeli business people. A TBI internal document, titled “Gaza Economic Blueprint,” was also shared within the group.
The institute reacted sharply to the report, asserting its non-involvement in the preparation of the detailed slide deck. “Tony Blair himself has neither spoken to the people who prepared this deck nor commented on it,” a spokesperson stated. “The TBI team speaks to many different groups and organisations with postwar ‘plans’ for Gaza, but had nothing to do with the authorship of this plan.”
The plan, dubbed “The Great Trust,” reportedly sought to appeal to both the Trump administration and wealthy Gulf states. Among the ten “mega-projects” detailed in the slides were highways named after Saudi Arabian leader Mohammed bin Salman – the “MBS Ring” – and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan – “MBZ Central.” In February, Trump amplified the vision on social media, retweeting an AI-generated video and proclaiming, “We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal … the Riviera of the Middle East, it could be so magnificent.”
The TBI spokesperson emphasized the institute’s commitment to improving conditions for Palestinians within Gaza. “Of course we’re opposed to any plan which tries to make Gazans leave Gaza. We want them to be able to stay and live in Gaza,” they said. The spokesperson clarified that the “Gaza Economic Blueprint” document was one of many internal analyses of various proposals for the territory’s future. “It has never been about relocating Gazans, which is a proposal TBI has never authored, developed or endorsed.”
However, the revelations have raised questions about the extent of the TBI’s engagement with the project. The institute, founded by the former UK Prime Minister after leaving Downing Street, employs over 900 staff in more than 45 countries and has a long history of involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Blair serving as a special representative of the Quartet for nearly eight years until 2015.
Adding to the controversy, BCG is facing separate scrutiny over its ties to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial aid delivery group backed by Israeli and US interests. The consulting firm announced last month it had terminated its contract with the GHF amid growing concerns about the group’s funding and operations. BCG has reportedly dismissed two partners accused of misleading senior management and has sought to distance itself from its work in Gaza, having previously been involved in modeling the potential reconstruction of the territory.
The unfolding situation underscores the complex and often opaque dynamics surrounding postwar planning for Gaza, and the involvement of international actors in shaping the territory’s future.
