According to a recent report, the construction of Wynn’s UAE casino hotel is reportedly more than 50% complete, with a goal of December 2025 to have the tower topped off.
Making Headway
It has been a long journey to get a casino resort approved in the United Arab Emirates, but the liberal, relatively speaking, emirate of Al-Marjan finally approved of the project, and Wynn Al-Marjan Island is being developed in conjunction with local partners Marjan LLC and RAK Hospitality Holding LLC.
The property is slated to encompass 5.6 million square feet at a cost of $4 billion and is expected to begin welcoming visitors in the early part of 2027. The casino itself will occupy only about 4% of the facility, and the government would like gaming and sports betting to be considered complementary to the world-class accommodations, restaurants and entertainment.
The CEO of Wynn Resorts, Craig Billings, said before construction began that the property “is really going to be a stunner, and it’s great to see the buildings start to take shape.”
Towering Vision
Fast forward to last month, and Wynn released the following update on the property.
“The resort will offer 1,542 rooms and well-appointed suites. To date, the tower structure has been completed for 1,121 guest rooms, or 73% of the total. Fit-out is underway in approximately 820 rooms — including walls, floors, and ceilings, as well as all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services. The elevator and escalator installation also began this month.”
It has been reported there are over 9100 construction workers on site daily and 100 concrete trucks making deliveries every day.
“The resort will also include a 15,000-square-meter shopping promenade filled with the world’s top luxury boutiques, a five-star spa, and a salon. The 7,500-square-meter meetings and events center, along with a theater, will offer exciting parties, events, and bespoke entertainment experiences,” according to the statement.
Looking Ahead
The UAE has long been opposed to gambling, and the tentative green light for a casino located in the emirate of Al-Marjan was a stunning breakthrough. However, even though the $4 billion complex had broken ground, the casino license wasn’t technically approved until October.
The seminal moment came via an announcement from the company, stating, “Wynn Resorts thanks the GCGRA for the confidence and trust the license grant signifies and is proud to be the recipient of the first commercial gaming facility license in the UAE.”
The GCGRA is the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, the UAE’s first gaming regulatory agency. It was a risky bet for the iconic Las Vegas gaming company, as they were never guaranteed they would be approved for a casino license. However, now that they are, Wynn is likely to be the lone gaming destination in the UAE for several years.
GCGRA Chairman Jim Murren commented on the future of gaming in the UAE at the Skift Global Forum East 2024 in November. “The process is moving very deliberately here. The government has been very clear it wants a state-of-the-art, very compliant, very rigorous regulatory regime. Nothing we’re doing will rush that,” Murren said.
