The first pictures of the upcoming Wynn Al Marjan Island resort have been released. The US$3.9 billion integrated resort will be home to the UAE’s first confirmed casino when it opens in 2027.
Wynn Al Marjan Island will comprise 1,500 keys, including rooms, suites and villas, along with two dozen restaurants, a spa, an events centre, and a threatre for “unique production shows.” Wynn states the resort is designed for longer visits and “day trips” from those across the six other emirates. With this in mind, there will be nightly laser and light shows, much like in Las Vegas.
“We have spent the past year meticulously programming and conceptualising Wynn Al Marjan Island, carefully considering its unique location,” said Wynn Resorts CEO, Craig Billings.
He added: “I am incredibly proud of our design and development team’s ability to impart our legacy of rich, thoughtful design into a sun-soaked beachside resort that will delight customers, new and old. We look forward to opening Wynn Al Marjan Island in early 2027.”
In November 2022, Hotelier Middle East was the first to confirm the project will contain a casino. The casino will be around 18,500 sq m in size. If this remains the case, the facility would be one of the ten biggest in the world and almost double the size of the one in Wynn’s Vegas property
“The same geometric configuration of the curved shape of the beach on the island is echoed through the podium structure, similar to a great opera house, creating majestic views of the beach, sea and the horizon,” the statement added. “Every diner in the abundant restaurant offerings lining the beach-facing promenade at Wynn Al Marjan Island will enjoy sweeping views of the sea.”
UAE gaming laws already advancing quickly
In 2022, Billings said Wynn would only enter a market where gaming legislation is in place. In regards to Wynn Marjan, he said “no further enabling legislation is required,” as early as his Q4 2021 earnings call, one month after the project was announced.
He went on: “We’re not looking at a multiyear process for legalisation like we have seen in some other markets. Regulations are well advanced, having been modelled on those of Singapore and the United States. The tax rate and license structure are very reasonable.
“And finally, with the regulatory framework taking shape and a regulator in place, we will be licensed to conduct gaming in Ras Al Khaimah.”
Immense potential of Wynn Al Marjan Island and UAE casino
In the Q3 earnings call, Billings said the group is putting a tremendous amount of its time and focus into the UAE project, adding that “[it is] a very high return opportunity for us we expect. And so, that’s really the focus of our design and development efforts at the moment.”
Earlier in the year, the hospitality chief also heralded the connectivity and diversity of Dubai, RAK and the emirates.
He said: “The UAE is already a substantial destination for not only the region but for Europe, for Brits, for Germans, for really folks from all over the place. So this is a significant customer acquisition opportunity and a really material extension of our brand.
“When we open that property, 95 percent of the world’s population will be within an eight-hour flight of a Wynn Resorts property.”