Who is Steven Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East?

US President-elect Donald Trump has picked real estate investor and campaign donor Steve Witkoff to be his special envoy to the Middle East.

"Steve is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous," he said of Witkoff on Tuesday.

"Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud."

Witkoff doesn't have any experience in diplomacy or the Middle East.

Who is Steven Witkoff?

Witkoff, who is Jewish, is a real estate investor, landlord and founder of Witkoff Group and was a major donor to Trump's campaign.

He was born in New York, graduated from Hofstra University, and worked in the New York real estate law firm Dreyer and Traub, where Trump was a client.

The 67-year-old is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination.

Witkoff is also a staunch supporter of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hailed Trump before on how he dealt with Israel and the region.

He attended Netanyahu's speech to Congress and said, "It felt spiritual", criticising the Democrats for not reacting the same way.