Wynn Al Marjan Island Reveals Beachfront As UAE’s First Casino Resort Advances
Wynn Resorts has pulled back the curtain on the beachfront of its Wynn Al Marjan Island resort, the first integrated casino resort in the United Arab Emirates, as the landmark project pushes towards a 2027 opening.
On August 11, the operator unveiled a completed 550-metre beachfront, a sheltered lagoon and an offshore reef in an official announcement, giving the first public look at the waterfront of a property that will bring regulated online casinos to the Gulf for the first time.
Casino Games Hub
Inside The New Wynn Beach
The reveal centres on Wynn Beach, a shoreline stretching more than half a kilometre along Ras Al Khaimah’s coast and split into three distinct settings called Resort Beach, Adult Beach and Enclave Beach.
Guests will find cabanas and chaise lounges ranging from shaded retreats to a private bungalow with its own plunge pool and butler service, while the calm lagoon is designed for swimming, snorkelling, paddleboarding and kayaking.
Wynn also leaned into the resort’s environmental credentials. A network of engineered reef units has been installed just offshore to accelerate the growth of a marine habitat, and the operator said coral and marine life have already begun to take hold, with osprey nesting nearby.
"Our ambition was to create a shoreline where guests can escape," said Max Tappeiner, President of Wynn Al Marjan Island, who described the site as "Wynn Resorts’ first beachfront destination" and "something entirely new for our portfolio."
The UAE’s First Casino Resort
The gaming angle is what sets the development apart. Wynn Al Marjan Island was first announced in 2022, and in October 2024 Wynn secured a commercial gaming licence from the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, the first such land-based licence granted in the country.
That head start makes Wynn the frontrunner in a market that global operators have watched closely since the Emirates signalled it would permit regulated casino gaming.
When it opens, the resort will house 1,530 rooms and suites, 22 restaurants, lounges and bars, a theatre, a five-star spa, designer boutiques and an entertaining beach club, all less than 50 miles from Dubai International Airport.
A gallery of fine art is also planned, taking in paintings, 17th century tapestries, Victorian-era cut glass and an 18th-century Buccleuch vase.
Delays And Rising Costs
The beachfront milestone lands against a backdrop of delay and rising costs. Wynn had originally targeted a March 2027 opening, but construction was suspended for a period in February 2026 amid conflict in the wider Middle East before resuming in March once, in the company’s words, steps had been taken to ensure the safety of workers on site.
Wynn has since confirmed the resort will now open in September 2027, a six-month slip from the original schedule. The overrun has carried a price.
On its second-quarter earnings call, Wynn Resorts said it had raised the project’s budget by an estimated $600 million, roughly half of which it attributed to the regional conflict, and reported contributing $48.1m to the development during the quarter. Wynn holds a 40% stake in the resort.
