• An artist illustration of Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. Photos: Wynn Resorts
    An artist illustration of Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. Photos: Wynn Resorts
  • The $5.1 billion resort secured the country's first gaming licence from UAE authorities in 2024.
    The $5.1 billion resort secured the country's first gaming licence from UAE authorities in 2024.
  • A French-American steakhouse by Alain Ducasse is among the first restaurants announced for the Wynn Al Marjan Island. Photo: Wynn Resorts
    A French-American steakhouse by Alain Ducasse is among the first restaurants announced for the Wynn Al Marjan Island. Photo: Wynn Resorts
  • Popular supper club Delilah will also open at Wynn Al Marjan Island. The outpost will be the first international opening of the 1950s-themed venue. Photo: Wynn Resorts
    Popular supper club Delilah will also open at Wynn Al Marjan Island. The outpost will be the first international opening of the 1950s-themed venue. Photo: Wynn Resorts
  • The resort will have 1,530 rooms, 22 restaurants, a nightclub, salon, spa, designer boutiques, an events centre, several pools and a marina.
    The resort will have 1,530 rooms, 22 restaurants, a nightclub, salon, spa, designer boutiques, an events centre, several pools and a marina.
  • The main hotel lobby at dusk at Wynn Al Marjan Island.
    The main hotel lobby at dusk at Wynn Al Marjan Island.
  • Ras Al Khaimah recorded 1.28 million overnight visitors in 2024.
    Ras Al Khaimah recorded 1.28 million overnight visitors in 2024.
  • The emirate is aiming to boost its visitor numbers to 3.5 million by 2030.
    The emirate is aiming to boost its visitor numbers to 3.5 million by 2030.
  • Ras Al Khaimah is expanding its hospitality portfolio of about 56 hotels and resorts, with 8,000 rooms.
    Ras Al Khaimah is expanding its hospitality portfolio of about 56 hotels and resorts, with 8,000 rooms.
  • The emirate aims to triple the size of its tourism economy by 2030 and position itself as one of the top 10 fastest-growing global destinations.
    The emirate aims to triple the size of its tourism economy by 2030 and position itself as one of the top 10 fastest-growing global destinations.

UAE’s first gaming resort set to ‘open up Ras Al Khaimah to the world’


Aarti Nagraj
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE’s first gaming resort is expected to boost visits to Ras Al Khaimah and attract travellers previously unaware of the emirate's offerings, but that is only a part of a much wider tourism strategy.

The $5.1 billion Wynn Al Marjan Island resort in Ras Al Khaimah secured the country's first gaming licence from UAE authorities last year.

“When you think about Wynn, it is arguably one of the best luxury integrated resorts in the world. And to have that type of brand coming to a destination like ours is something that I think will end up being a great new contributor to the tourism ecosystem," Raki Phillips, chief executive of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said.

But it is only one of a number of plans, he added.

“The Wynn will definitely contribute towards tourism but just like many other things that have come to the UAE, [such as] the Expo that was an incredible driver … I genuinely believe that all of our hotels, when they open, will give a new contribution, same with our attractions,” Mr Phillips told The National on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

The resort will have 1,530 rooms, 22 restaurants, a nightclub, salon, spa, designer boutiques, an events centre, several pools and a marina.

An artist illustration of Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. Photo: Wynn Resorts
An artist illustration of Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. Photo: Wynn Resorts

It will “create a tremendous amount of interest in Ras Al Khaimah”, said Michael Weaver, chief communications officer at Wynn Resorts.

“It will get people considering Ras Al Khaimah as a destination who perhaps wouldn't have considered it before, because they wouldn't have been made aware of it.

"And when they look in and see Al Marjan Island [and all the new hotels coming up there], it's going to be remarkable. There really aren't that many other places where you'll have that collection of hotels, restaurants and integrated destination resort all within walking distance.”

But the gaming floor will be only one amenity of many, he said.

“Gaming gets a lot overemphasised and I think that's because it takes up so much physical space, because of the scale of it, but that does not necessarily equate to the importance of it,” Mr Weaver told The National.

“When people go to destination resorts, they go to experience all of those amenities, so gaming may take up the largest space, it may be a defining characteristic, but it is not the most important characteristic. What's important is the cumulative guest experience of all the amenities together.”

Gambling remains prohibited in the Emirates, as it is across the Gulf, but the UAE set up the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority to oversee and supervise commercial "gaming activities". These include lotteries, internet gaming, sports betting and integrated gaming centres or resorts.

The word "gaming" is also used by the equivalent authorities in the US.

Wynn Al Marjan Island will have a 42-metre-long beach. Photo: Wynn Resorts
Wynn Al Marjan Island will have a 42-metre-long beach. Photo: Wynn Resorts

Calling all travellers

Ras Al Khaimah, which recorded 1.28 million overnight visitors last year, aims to boost that figure to 3.5 million by 2030.

As part of the strategy, the emirate is expanding its hospitality portfolio, which stood at about 55 hotels and resorts, with 8,211 rooms, as of March. The number of rooms in the emirate is set to double in the next few years, with more than 7,500 rooms added.

The emirate aims to boost tourism’s contribution to the economy to a third by 2035 and position itself as one of the top 10 fastest-growing global destinations. The strategy is expected to create many jobs in the industry, with the Wynn resort alone forecast to employ about 7,000 people.

The emirate is setting up the infrastructure to encourage such growth, Mr Phillips said.

Ras Al Khaimah International Airport recorded 661,765 arrivals last year, up 28 per cent annually, with that number estimated to exceed two million by the end of the decade.

“The airport is going through a great transformation and, with the growth of tourism that the destination is going through, it complements it," he said.

"It has to [grow and transform] to meet the demand that's coming through. We will be making announcements in the future of how that airport will transform."

The tourism board is also in talks to increase air connections to the emirate. Mr Phillips said: "I think the whole emirate has to grow and develop. But again, you're 45 minutes away from one of the busiest airports in the world [Dubai International] ... I think the entire UAE ecosystem helps to drive the success that we're having."

The emirate “can be ready” by 2027 to welcome the influx of tourists when Wynn opens, said Mr Weaver.

“If you look at the emirate now, there is a lot of construction going on, getting ready for not just our hotel, but all the [other] hotels. So there is massive infrastructure being built. And what happens in destinations is, there is this constant evolving that goes on in creating more and more infrastructure,” he said.

“So that's not a static experience where you create the infrastructure and you're done, not in a destination as dynamic as this is going to be."

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Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

'Cheb%20Khaled'
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GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

Politics in the West
Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday

Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)

Valencia v Levante (midnight)

Saturday

Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)

Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)

Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)

Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday

Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)

Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)

Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)

WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
Abu Dhabi traffic facts

Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road

The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.

Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.

The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.

The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.

Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019

 

ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
 

The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

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Skoda Superb Specs

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Price: From Dh147,000

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Updated: May 01, 2025, 9:17 AM