Travel blogger and part-time Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently completed a “Middle East Investment Tour” with the goal of strengthening ”Michigan’s economic ties in the region, boost[ing] job creation, meeting with women leaders for a roundtable discussion to highlight issues facing women leaders globally, and showcas[ing] the state’s leadership in the defense and aerospace industries.”
Michigan Enjoyer has obtained the itinerary, guests, and total costs for the trip.
Governor Whitmer’s entourage included 20 staff members, MEDC employees, and community members, including Osama Siblani, a controversial figure who has reportedly praised Hezbollah. Siblani is owner of the Dearborn-based Arab American News, which published a glowing review of the trip.
The trip began with the World Government’s Summit, where Whitmer gave a speech about “leveling the playing field in education,” despite Michigan consistently ranking in the bottom 10 states for education.
She managed to meet with Middle Eastern royalty, business leaders, and U.S. military stationed in Bahrain.
Speaking of Bahrain, the governor and her team met with Iran-linked Shiek Saud bin Saqr Al-Qasimi, with whom she signed an agreement to “advance global innovation, entrepreneurship, economic growth, and job creation” at the University of Michigan and Ras al-Khaimah-based academic institutions and “to drive bilateral investments between Michigan and the small Gulf nation.” Meanwhile, Saud is reported to have been part of a money-laundering operation to allegedly evade sanctions against Iran.
In between her speech and a few meetings, Whitmer and her guests enjoyed dinners at local restaurants such as Ushna, a 2020 Traveler’s Choice Award recipient, fine accommodations, a tour of the Burj Khalifa, the Grand Souk Bur Dubai bazzar, a five-hour desert safari that concluded with dinner and “cultural dances,” and a tour of the Grand Mosque.
Whitmer and her staff were also hosted for lunch at the private residence of Kardashian-endorsed cosmetics scion Dr. Lamees Hamdan.
Falconry has long been a cultural tradition of United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which is why no trip to UAE can be complete without a trip to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, the world’s largest bird hospital, caring for over 11,000 birds a year.
The total taxpayer expense for the MEDC-sponsored trip was listed at $176,232.64, but it is unclear if that amount includes fees accrued by the governor and her staff, whose office is exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests, or only the MEDC employees and community members who accompanied her.
And have any jobs been brought to Michigan as a result of this trip? You’d expect a press release if there were.
Is this what we consider responsible use of taxpayer funds? Or is responsible use of taxpayer money for the birds?
Anna Hoffman is a hockey mom of three living in Ann Arbor. Follow her on X @shoesonplease.
