The Trump administration is in discussions about providing a currency swap line to the UAE, which faces economic damage from the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz closure. UAE Central Bank Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama raised the idea with Treasury Secretary Bessent and Federal Reserve officials.
The Trump family has substantial business ties to the UAE. A firm backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, the UAE's national security adviser, bought 49 percent of World Liberty Financial, the family's crypto company, for $500 million in January 2025, with $187 million paid up front to Trump family entities; and MGX, an Abu Dhabi state-backed fund Tahnoon chairs, used World Liberty's stablecoin for a $2 billion investment in Binance (see A Firm Tied to the UAE's National Security Adviser Bought 49% of Trump's Crypto Company Four Days Before His Inauguration). Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners received roughly $200 million from UAE sovereign wealth funds. The Trump Organization is constructing a luxury hotel in Dubai. Three congressional investigations are already open into the family's UAE financial ties.
UAE officials reportedly warned they may be forced to use Chinese yuan for oil sales if they run low on dollars — a de-dollarization threat that adds geopolitical pressure to the financial request.
Kevin Hassett (National Economic Council): “The UAE has been an incredibly valuable ally throughout this effort, and I am sure that the treasury secretary will make every effort to help them out should that be necessary.”
Public Citizen called it a “jaw-dropping conflict of interest.” The Center for American Progress: “Trump's Gulf interests conflict with the interests of the American people.”
Correction (September 25, 2026): this entry said World Liberty Financial “received $2 billion from UAE investors in 2025, including a $500 million stake” and that the family had received “billions” from the UAE. The $2 billion was MGX's investment in Binance, which used World Liberty's stablecoin; it was not paid to World Liberty. The $500 million stake is a separate deal. The documented payments to Trump family entities are $187 million up front, and $263 million according to his 2025 disclosure. The title and text now say so.