President Donald Trump plans to rename the Persian Gulf the “Arabian Gulf” in a push to get closer to countries where his family announced billions of dollars’ worth of deals.
Next week, the president will travel to Saudi Arabia, where he’s expected to make the naming announcement, before visiting Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the Associated Press reported.
The body of water bordered by Iran to the east and the Arab gulf states to the west has been widely known as the “Persian Gulf” since the 16th century, according to the AP. Many Arab countries, however, refer to it as the “Gulf of Arabia” or the “Arabian Gulf.”
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Google Maps describes it as the “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf),” while Apple simply calls it the “Persian Gulf.”
Under U.S. law, veterans of the 1991 Gulf War between Iraq and a U.S.-led coalition are classified as “Persian Gulf War Veterans.” Generally speaking, the president can change geographical names for U.S. purposes, but it’s not clear what happens when the name contradicts laws enacted by Congress.
Although the U.S. Constitution bars U.S. presidents from receiving “emoluments,” or profits or compensation, from foreign governments, the president maintains deep business ties in the Arab gulf states.
Just last week, the Trump family announced billions of dollars of real estate projects and cryptocurrency investments in the region.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that a Saudi Arabian firm will build a Trump-branded luxury golf course in Qatar as part of a $5.5 billion development project. On Wednesday, a $1 billion Trump hotel and residence was announced in Dubai. And on Thursday, an Abu Dhabi firm announced it was making a $2 billion cryptocurrency investment using the president’s World Liberty Financial coin.
Plans are also underway for a new Trump Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The White House claims the deals do not represent a conflict of interest because the president’s assets are held in trust and managed by his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., The Independent reported. But the deals will generate millions of dollars for the Trump family, with some benefits flowing directly to the president.
The move to rename the Persian Gulf comes several months after Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
The Associated Press and other organizations with international reach have refused to adopt the change, as the rest of the world still calls it the Gulf of Mexico.
The AP’s defiance sparked a battle with the president, who tried to ban the storied news outlet from key parts of the White House.
One of Trump’s own appointments struck down the White House policy last month, but the “Arabian Gulf” renaming could very well reignite the issue.
