Donald Trump stripped from Damac billboards in Dubai

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Donald Trump stripped from Damac billboards in Dubai UAE real estate developer Damac Properties has stripped Donald Trump’s images off billboards advertising the firm’s Akoya project in Dubai. The front-runner for the Republican US presidential nomination – who has been condemned worldwide after calling for a ban on all Muslims from entering the US – backs Damac’s Trump-branded golf courses and luxury villas, located within the 42 million sqft Akoya by Damac master plan. Hoardings that previously carried photos of the billionaire businessman advertising Damac’s Trump-branded golf course and luxury villas stood bare on Umm Suquiem Road on Thursday, right at the entrance to the development. A resident of the neighbouring Mudon Villas community in Dubailand said he was thrilled the photo’s had been taken down. “I cannot bear for us to look at the vile man’s face. I hope Damac uses their common sense and cancels the project,” he told 7DAYS. Another joked: “I wonder which character they’ll replace his photo with.” Damac Properties senior vice president Niall McLoughlin previously told 7DAYS in a statement: “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.” It is believed that Trump has also put money into the project. “I never put my name to something I don’t invest in,” Trump previously told 7DAYS when he flew into Dubai on his 757 private jet with daughter Ivanka flew to launch the project. Trump has multiple business interests in the UAE including with the Al Tayer Group, that opened two Trump Home by Dorya galleries in the UAE in June, as well as the Landmark Group, which inked a deal to sell Trump Home-branded products across the Gulf in its Lifestyle stores. 7DAYS this week reported that Dubai-based Landmark Group’s retail brand Lifestyle – with more than 170 stores across the Middle East – decided to pull Trump Home-branded products off its shelves in response to Trump’s inflammatory tirade. READ MORE: UAE’s Landmark Group takes Trump Home-branded products off its shelves Sachin Mundhwa, CEO, Lifestyle, told 7DAYS in a statement: “As one of the most popular home décor brands in the Middle East, Lifestyle values and respects the sentiments of all its customers. In light of the recent statements made by the presidential candidate in the US media, we have suspended sale of all products from the Trump Home décor range.” Trump is currently leading the polls for the Republican nomination to be the next president of the United States of America. His comments have sparked outrage worldwide after he urged a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims” entering his country. However, despite harsh criticism Trump said he stands by his words and did not care about the backlash. He said at a rally in South Carolina: “I wrote something today that was very salient, very important. It was probably not politically correct. But. I. Don’t. Care.” He continued: “We are out of control. We have no idea who’s coming into this country. We have no idea if they love us or hate us. We have no idea if they want to bomb us. By the way, I have friends who are Muslims. They are great people. But they know we have a problem because something is going on, and we can’t put up with it, folks, we can’t put up with it.” READ MORE: Donald Trump’s Muslim ban proposal provokes strong UAE backlash This is not the first time Trump has made provocative discriminatory remarks. He recently said he is also in favour of shutting down American mosques and establishing a database for all Muslims living in the US or giving them a form of special identification that noted their religion. megha@7days.ae Read the original story at: Donald Trump stripped from Damac billboards in Dubai