Wynn’s $5 billion UAE casino resort on track for March 2027 launch

Wynn Resorts’ first integrated casino resort in the United Arab Emirates is on schedule to open in March 2027, the project’s developer confirmed this way, marking the Gulf state’s entry into regulated gaming as it seeks to defend its tourism sector from regional rivals.

Wynn Al Marjan, a $3.9-$5.1 billion, 70-storey complex on Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Marjan Island, will feature more than 1,500 hotel rooms, a 7,500-square-metre event centre, a spa, over 20 restaurants and a 20,900-square-metre casino with a “sky gaming” area. The resort will also include pools, a marina and 420 metres of private beach.

“We are committed to delivering the resort by [March] 2027, and it is on plan,” Abdulla Al Abdouli, CEO of Marjan, told Khaleej Times. “It is one of the biggest projects in the UAE and one of the most anticipated in the region.”

In 2024, Wynn secured the UAE’s first 15-year commercial gaming licence, coinciding with the launch of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, headed by former MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren.

The UAE's move comes as Saudi Arabia intensifies efforts to draw international tourists, which attracted a record 30 million international arrivals in 2024.

The Ras Al Khaimah project is expected to boost jobs and tourism. Hiring has begun, with 78 open roles listed as of Sept. 21 and staffing projected to reach 300 by year-end. 

“It will add 1,542 hotel keys and more than 22 F&B lounges and experiences. It will increase the number of visitors to the emirate,” Abdouli said. “The Wynn resort will provide an offering, but supporting it requires residential units and apartments as well. Many businesses will be created there. It will be an integral part of Ras Al Khaimah’s economy.”

The emirate is also developing RAK Central, a 3.1 million-square-metre mixed-use community due in 2027 to support its goal of attracting 3.5 million visitors annually by 2030.

Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings has described Al Marjan as “the best development project in the industry.”

“In terms of gaming revenue, analysts have put it in the $5 billion to $8 billion range. To put that in perspective, the Las Vegas Strip is a little more than $6 billion. So that’s a substantial market opportunity,” he told CNBC earlier this year.

Wynn has also set aside land for a potential second resort in Ras Al Khaimah, while MGM Resorts has applied for a licence to develop a property in Abu Dhabi.