UAE’S FIRST CASINO RESORT IS IN RAS AL-KHAIMAH
UAE’S FIRST CASINO RESORT IS IN RAS AL-KHAIMAH
The United Arab Emirates has recently relaxed laws surrounding gaming, which has led to projects establishing the first casino in the country to gather pace. And, curiously, the first UAE casino resort looks unlikely to open in either Dubai or the capital Abu Dhabi but, instead, Ras Al-Khaimah.
The Dhs14 billion ($3.8bn) Wynn Al Marjan Island in RAK is scheduled to open in 2027 and is set to be even bigger than the original Wynn in the world’s most famous gaming hub, Las Vegas. with it looking like a game-changer (literally) for the UAE.
Why is the first UAE casino going to be in Ras Al-Khaimah?
In July 2024, the UAE established its rules and regulations surrounding commercial gaming in the country and set up the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority. This authority, first set up at the end of 2023, laid out the ground rules for responsible gaming and paved the way for casinos to operate in the country. Despite plans for big Las Vegas brands such as the MGM, Bellagio, and Aria all in the pipeline for The Island Dubai project, there has been no suggestion that casinos will arrive with them before the Wynn Al Marjan Island project is completed.
And, on Friday, October 4, the Wynn Al Marjan Island Resort was officially issued a Commercial Gaming Facility Operator license by the authority following an extensive review. This is the first license issued for a casino in the UAE. The Island Dubai was first announced in 2017 and will be off the coast of Umm Suqeim. The project remains some way off completion as a Dhs4.4 billion contract for its construction was only awarded in 2024.
A report from May of 2024 confirmed that Wynn expects the RAK project to be the “first integrated gaming resort in the Middle East North Africa region”. The project looks set to contain a casino, around 18,500 sq m in size, which will make it one of the biggest in the world.
The beachfront UAE casino resort will feature a 300-metre tall tower, which is expected to be topped off late in 2025, while the final resort will open to the public in early 2027.
What will the first UAE casino look like?
Sprawled over 18,500 square metres and lying on Ras AlKhaimah’s dormant Dream Island, also known as Al Marjan Island, the casino resort will be an impressive-looking structure. Designed for both longer visits and day trips from neighbouring emirates, the resort has something for everyone, including nightly state-of-the-art laser and light shows.
