Construction has resumed at Indonesia's Lido Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in West Java following a year-long suspension triggered by environmental concerns. The development includes work on a golf clubhouse associated with the Trump Organization.
In February of last year, Indonesia’s Environment Ministry temporarily sealed sections of the 1,040-hectare Lido SEZ. The administrative action followed concerns regarding water management and sedimentation affecting Lido Lake, located inside the designated development area.
The ministry has since lifted the suspension order after the developer met official compliance demands.
Speaking on the status of the development on Aug 1, Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat explained the regulatory purpose of temporary halts.
"Every sealing or sanction involves government enforcement. Government enforcement is: 'You have to do A, B, C, D, E’,” said Jumhur. “If they fulfil the requirements, the sanction can be lifted. If not, then it's impossible to remove it (the seal).”
When asked if the suspension on Lido SEZ had been formally removed, Jumhur stated: “They have already fulfilled our orders for those mistakes.”
An official at the secretariat-general of Indonesia’s national council for special economic zones confirmed the prohibition was removed earlier this year. The official noted that developer MNC Land Lido—a unit of Indonesian conglomerate MNC Group—took remedial steps, including measures to stop soil and sediment from entering the lake. Although media reports previously suggested the dispute might lead to court proceedings, the official confirmed no litigation occurred.
A site visit in May showed active construction adjacent to the 18-hole Trump golf course, which has been operational since last year. A staff member confirmed the ongoing work is for the Trump clubhouse. Construction activity was also visible at the Lido Lake Resort, an expanding property owned by MNC Hotel within the zone.
The Trump Organization projects cover 216 hectares of the total 1,040-hectare Lido SEZ, often referred to as MNC Lido City.
According to MNC Tourism’s Facebook page, the 3.3-hectare clubhouse—equivalent to 4.5 football fields—is planned as the largest in the Trump Organization’s portfolio. Expected to complete this year, it will feature multiple restaurants, a large ballroom, meeting facilities, and a 5,000-square-metre semi-outdoor ballroom.
The Trump Organization’s official website highlights the Lido site as its first golf property in Asia, stating it "will showcase the Trump brand's standard of excellence by featuring world-class facilities, including an immaculate lifestyle country club, luxurious spa, high-end residences and five-star white-glove service, among many other amenities”.
Beyond the operational 18-hole course and clubhouse, future developments for the site include a five-star hotel, a wellness centre, and residential units.
The Lido development ties together the business operations of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s brand and Indonesian tycoon Hary Tanoesoedibjo. Hary founded MNC Group in 1989—a conglomerate spanning media, entertainment, financial services, and hospitality—and later established the Perindo political party in 2014.
MNC Group acquired the Lido site from Bakrie Group around 2014. Initial master plans for the location envisioned an integrated resort destination featuring hotels, film production facilities, residential spaces, and a theme park. The government designated the site as an official SEZ in 2021 under former President Joko Widodo. To date, the 18-hole golf course remains the primary completed feature.
Analysts cite geographic accessibility as a central factor for the SEZ's market potential.
Made Supriatma, a political analyst and visiting researcher at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, noted that a new highway directly connects the site to the capital.
“It could become an integrated entertainment centre for Indonesia's elites,” said Made. “Its location, just an hour from Jakarta, its prestige as a ‘Trump property’ and its various entertainment options (golf resort, music concert venue and so on) will satisfy Jakarta’s elites.”
Wawan Mas’udi, dean of the faculty of social and political sciences at Gadjah Mada University, detailed how SEZ designations operate structurally by simplifying licensing and allocating state infrastructure support.
“The state allocates resources to support it, licensing becomes simpler, and there are other forms of facilitation,” Wawan said. However, he emphasized that long-term outcomes depend on execution: “It could be things like the business model or (potential) social problems that the developers could prevent beforehand.”
Syarifah Syaukat, an environmental property expert at Knight Frank, noted that high-income sports infrastructure aligns with domestic wealth trends.
“Developers must consider the local culture, prevailing policies, the stability of national economic growth, and applicable spatial planning regulations (for the resort to succeed),” Syarifah said. “They must also consider the benefits of regional development for the surrounding communities, both in terms of environmental sustainability and livelihood sustainability.”
Other observers note that international branding does not automatically guarantee commercial viability in Indonesia, referencing a separate Trump-linked property in Bali.
Virdika Rizky Utama, executive director of PARA Syndicate, observed that political sensitivity surrounds the brand name.
“An international brand may confer prestige, but without adaptation to the Indonesian context, the project's sustainability is highly questionable,“ Virdika said. “The Bali project demonstrates that Indonesians don't always embrace Trump's symbolism enthusiastically.”
The Trump-linked golf resort in Bali halted public operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains closed. A local official confirmed on condition of anonymity that planned revamps for the Bali property have not yet materialized.
Nicky Fahrizal, a political expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), stated that ongoing debates over overtourism and environmental protection in Bali demonstrate that luxury projects require more than brand equity.
Local employment benefits also remain a point of discussion among nearby residents.
“We have not benefited from the past development. Most workers were not locals,” said Andra, a 45-year-old resident living near the Lido development.
