Wynn Resorts has announced plans to spend $3.9 billion on its first resort in the Middle East, located in Ras Al Khaimah, an emirate in the UAE. The beach-front Wynn Al Marjan Island will feature 1,500 rooms and villas, making it one of the world’s largest gaming facilities. Although there is a ban on gambling in Islam, the emirate’s Tourism Development Authority set up a unit to regulate “integrated resorts,” including gaming facilities. The project was originally slated to open in 2026, but the opening has been delayed by a year.
Wynn’s First Middle East Resort to Boost Economy and Tourism.
Declared as the first Wynn project in the Middle East and North Africa region and its largest outside Las Vegas and Macau. The resort is expected to help the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah become a major global tourist destination while creating jobs and boosting the economy. The announcement of the resort has generated speculation that it may mark the end of the ban on gambling in the region.
Other Middle Eastern countries, such as Lebanon and Egypt, already have casinos that operate around the clock, offering a wide range of gambling machines, table games, and live games. While Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim nation, also permits gambling.
