Wynn Resorts May Be on Track for a Casino License in the United Arab Emirates

Article by : Erik Gibbs Aug 14, 2023

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In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Wynn Resorts expects to go all in what could only be defined as a bold move for the entertainment and hospitality giant. On the artificial Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, the company presented plans this last Thursday that foresee one of the most significant projects in the history of enterprise.

Wynn Resorts revealed the official plan and documentation for a $3.9 billion integrated resort development. The company initially waived the proposal, which would become the first legal gaming and gambling operation in the UAE over 15 months ago.

Regarding the physical distribution of the resort, developers are looking at a 1,000-foot-tall hotel tower that will rise above the island’s coastline. Without question, and as in most cases around the world, similar infrastructure has had a profound impact on the local landscape. Wynn’s resort would be no exception.

The development is expected to hold facilities with 1,500 hotel rooms and suites. In addition, the property will include luxurious villas with direct beach access. The building will also hold 24 dining establishments, lounges, and other non-gaming attractions.

Approximately 100,000 square feet of convention and meeting space have also been included in the blueprints. To this, developers have also envisioned and included about 120,000 square feet of retail space filled with all sorts of businesses.

Although some of the hype about bringing legal gambling to operation in the region has been caught by local authorities, spacing doesn’t seem to deliver the same impression on blueprints. That is because just 4% of the 5.6 million square feet of the entire development would hold a casino operation.

Wynn CEO Craig Billings had intended for a project to be developed in the region and become a landmark. Although the UAE is home to over thirty skyscrapers that rise well over 1,000 feet tall, which include the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Wynn is still focused on the aesthetic and commercial impact of the resort in the region.

Billing stated that the project concept had been developed over the last years and that many efforts have been devoted to carefully designing and perfecting every square inch of the development. The Wynn CEO also added that he is incredibly proud of his development team and everyone at the organization contributing to the project. As expectations keep rising, Billings commented that Wynn’s new resort in the UAE would change the growth of the gaming industry in the region.