Wynn Al Marjan, the first integrated casino resort in the United Arab Emirates, is on track to open in 18 months, CEO Abdulla Al Abdouli said in an interview published on Monday.
“We are committed to delivering the resort by [March] 2027, and it is on plan,” Abdouli told the Khaleej Times. “It is one of the biggest projects in the UAE and one of the most anticipated in the region.”
As of August, the $5.1 billion, 70-storey IR had reached the 61st floor. At completion, it will include a hotel tower with 1,500-plus rooms; the ultra-exclusive all-suite Enclave; a 7,500-square-metre event centre; a five-star spa; 20-plus restaurants; and “a glamorous shopping parterre”. The 20,900-square-metre casino will feature a “sky gaming” area on the 22nd floor.
The Persian Gulf complex will offer multiple pools with private bungalows and cabanas, a marina and 420 metres of private beach. Per the website, Al Marjan was “conceptualised as the centrepiece of an upscale destination offering the finest in hospitality and entertainment”.
It is located less than an hour from Dubai International Airport and just 15 minutes from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.
UAE gaming a hedge against regional competition
Last October, Wynn Resorts won the UAE’s first gaming licence with a term of 15 years. At the same time, the country established its General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, helmed by US gaming industry veterans. Jim Murren, former MGM Resorts CEO, is chairman. Kevin Mullally, one-time chief legal officer for Gaming Laboratories International, serves as chief executive.
The legalisation of gaming in the UAE is a part of a strategy to fend off competition from other Gulf destinations, especially Saudi Arabia. The latter welcomed a record 30 million international visitors in 2024. It is courting more with simplified visas and a less restrictive social environment. The UAE, meanwhile, is defending its standing as the region’s trade, tourism and financial centre.
The IR will be augmented by RAKS Central, a 3.1 million-square-metre “mixed-use residential community” also set to debut in 2027.
“The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority aims to attract more than 3.5 million visitors by 2030,” Abdouli told the Times. “To achieve this, we need more hospitality keys and active investor participation in real estate, including hotels and apartments.”
Gaming revenue could outpace the Strip
In a March interview with CNBC host Jim Cramer, Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings called Al Marjan “the best development project in the industry”.
In terms of gaming revenue, “analysts have put it in the $5 billion to $8 billion range”, he said. “To put that in perspective, the Las Vegas Strip is a little more than $6 billion. So that’s a substantial market opportunity.”
Wynn’s 2025 acquisition of Crown London, an exclusive casino in the tony Mayfair district, is expected to be “a conduit” for UK-based clients. “London was a small acquisition in dollar terms, but a big acquisition in strategic terms,” giving Wynn a database of affluent gamblers who may want to visit the UAE, Billings noted.
According to the Arabian Post, Wynn has already reserved land for a potential second IR in Ras Al Khaimah. The move signals “long-term ambitions for expanding its gambling and hospitality footprint in the UAE”.
Other operators are also looking at the emerging jurisdiction. Last fall, MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle said the company is planning a resort in Abu Dhabi. Its licence application is pending.
Wynn Resorts’ newest integrated resort continues to rise on Al Marjan Island, preparing to offer the first casino in the United Arab Emirates.