Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings has detailed the company’s plans to open a $2bn integrated resort project in the UAE, as it seeks to develop and grow the brand worldwide.
As the UAE is a limited supply market, Wynn will hold the only gaming licence in the region, therefore giving the company exclusive access to the high volume of tourists and visitors to the region.
Built on the man-made Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, the resort is currently scheduled to open in 2026, with Wynn aware of “opportunities to develop beyond that.” The location will work to further increase Wynn’s global presence and accessibility, with “95% of the world’s population within an eight-hour flight of the Wynn brand.”
Billings said: “There has been tremendous modernisation and progression in the UAE. The Dubai airport sees more than 80 million passengers a year. There’s an amazing amount of inbound visitation from Europe, the Middle East, India and other surrounding countries. We believe there will be a robust cash-based business like we have here. We see it as a real extension of our brand.”