SEE Holding, a Dubai-based development firm, is considering purchasing approximately 2,300 acres of land near Kaufman for a project it has referred to as “Sustainable City USA.”
On February 3, County Judge Jakie Allen said developers agreed to return at a later date with a “full set of plans” so residents could ask questions and receive detailed answers before any approvals are considered.
“I know some people are worried about it being a Muslim community, and SEE guarantees it’s not — and they would put in the deeds that there’ll be no mosque ever built at the location,” Allen said during the February 3 commissioners’ meeting.
The Dallas Express reached out to Allen’s office, but did not hear back in time for publication.
SEE Holding is led by Dubai executives, and views its mission as “spearheading a net zero emissions future to achieve 2050 targets today,” according to its website. To this end, it develops “sustainable cities.”
Each of the company’s Sustainable City developments is designed as a “live-work-thrive community.” They are self-supporting, using conservation strategies such as “renewable energy,” electric vehicles, indoor vertical farming, and wastewater recycling.
Residents point to SEE Holding’s overseas Sustainable City developments — which include mosques among their listed amenities — as raising concerns about whether a similar model could be proposed in Kaufman County.
Meet The Developers
Lawyer Ross Martin from the Dallas firm Winstead PC is facilitating the deal. At a January 20 Kaufman County commissioners’ meeting, a man representing Ross, who went by “Victor,” proposed a public hearing to officials and provided general information about the project.
“Long term would be a mixed-use plan,” Victor said. “It is a sizable tract of land out there, approximately 2,300 acres. But again, no finalized plans or plats at this time.”
At the end of the meeting, resident Chris Ewing stepped forward.
“Who is the group that’s actually applying for the public hearing?” he asked.
Victor said the petitioners are individual landowners.
“They have interest from developers who maybe, long term, have plans for the property, but they have not submitted anything,” he said. “It’s SEE Holdings… S-E-E Holdings.”
Kaufman commissioners initially planned a public hearing for water districts to accommodate the project, but Allen postponed the plans in the February 3 meeting. If commissioners ultimately deny the water districts, state law allows the developer to appeal to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Victor pledged that any plans submitted to the county would “comply with any existing regulations and statutes.”
SEE Holding is already working on “sustainable cities” in the UAE, including Dubai, Sharjah, and Yas Island, and in Oman, including Yiti.
The developments feature dense residential neighborhoods organized around shared green spaces, with mosques included among the listed amenities in each overseas project.
Each overseas Sustainable City development spans roughly 165 acres or less, while the proposed Kaufman County site — at approximately 2,300 acres — would be nearly fourteen times larger.
SEE Holding has gained influence among some of society’s most elite members. It announced on January 20 that it was bringing on Elon Musk’s mother, Maye Musk, as the “Global Voice of the Sustainable City.” The firm also announced that month it hosted actor Will Smith for a visit to its city in Dubai.
Islamic Influence Concerns
Kaufman residents have been expressing concerns about the development online.
“I was told that a Geocity was coming to Kaufman Texas. This would be funded by Saudi Arabia investors…. Of what I was told. They plan on bringing over 20,000+ people into this giant city they are making,” one citizen posted on Facebook. “Now this could just be a good ole rumor. But it also could be true? Partly true? Semi true? Who knows? But I would love to be educated.”
Republican Rep. Lance Gooden confirmed to The Daily Caller that the buyer was based in Dubai.
“I said under no circumstances would we accept any planned community that included mosques or religious buildings or schools. 20,000 foreigners is news to me, but that would also be a nonstarter,” Gooden told the outlet. “They said they would put that in writing and agreed with me, and I suggested they delay their hearing.”
Republican Rep. Keith Self expressed concern on X February 5 that the development could become a “Sharia city.”
“Mass immigration has wrecked France & the UK. We can’t let it destroy America. Defend our sovereignty & way of life,” Self said. “DO NOT SHARIA OUR TEXAS!”
In Self’s district, roughly 40 miles north of Kaufman and outside the small town of Josephine, the East Plano Islamic Center has been planning a 402-acre Islamic complex, as The Dallas Express reported. The development was initially named EPIC City and is now renamed The Meadow.
County officials have emphasized that the Kaufman County proposal involves a different developer, has not been submitted for approval, and is not under investigation by state authorities.
Following earlier controversies in North Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation in 2025 prohibiting religiously discriminatory developments or the imposition of foreign legal systems. Attorney General Ken Paxton also launched an investigation into EPIC City and asked officials in October to refer the project for a lawsuit.
A ‘Forward Looking’ Community
SEE Holding Chief Communications Officer Malini Basu told The Dallas Express in a statement that the proposed community is a “people-first project” that brings together housing, jobs, technology, and sustainability.
“The project is focused on creating a community where people can live affordably, work locally, and build meaningful connections—while reducing environmental impact and planning responsibly for the long term,” the statement reads. “The Sustainable City USA is open to all residents and businesses and will be planned, approved, and governed through existing Texas land-use, zoning, and local approval processes, consistent with any major development in the state.”
The development will house thousands of residents, though the number is not yet final. The firm said it will be “not a traditional suburban development or a gated enclave,” but a “walkable, inclusive, and forward-looking” community.
Specifically, housing will include a mix of apartments, townhomes, and senior living. Developers plan to make prices “affordable for local residents,” with energy-efficient homes and “smart building systems” that leverage AI and other technologies to improve efficiency.
“The focus is on long-term residents and community stability, not short-term or speculative turnover,” the statement reads.
Developers plan to use integrated spaces for employers, companies, and essential services, placing retail, medical, and daily needs within walking or biking distance. They hope to support small businesses and remote work to reduce traffic, long commutes, and emissions.
Meanwhile, they plan to use “AI-enabled energy management” to optimize usage and reduce waste, “smart infrastructure,” and “data-informed systems” that adapt over time.
“Technology is embedded in systems and operations, not in residents’ personal lives,” the statement reads.
SEE Holding pledged to operate the city in accordance with existing legal frameworks.
“Our focus is on responsible planning and long-term delivery that serves the community,” said a project team representative in the statement. “That means working within existing local and state requirements, listening to community input, and moving forward in phases with transparency and public process at every step.”
While landowners have pursued preliminary infrastructure steps, no site plan, plat, or development proposal has been submitted to Kaufman County.
“We have a lot of crappy, run-down developments in Kaufman County and would welcome something nice,” Gooden said to The Daily Caller, “but this group will need to convince the community before I get on board.”
