Wynn Resorts Announce Construction Contractor For Marjan Casino

In September 2022, Wynn Resorts, one of the world’s largest high-end hotel developers and operators, confirmed that their planned resort in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, would include a casino, and more recently, they announced that they had also chosen a construction contractor for the project.

The Original Casino Project Announcement

The planned Wynn Marjan integrated resort will have a casino that, according to Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings, will be far larger in scale than the company’s flagship asset in the United States, Wynn Las Vegas.

In 2022, information regarding the Wynn Marjan resort was released for the first time, and by 2026, it is expected that all 1,000 of its rooms would be ready to serve visitors to Ras Al Khaimah. Now, however, with the naming of a contractor, there is unmistakable evidence that the resort will be the first in the United Arab Emirates Gulf Cooperation Council area to provide gambling enterprises like casinos. According to reports, names like The Arabian Strip and The Marjan Strip have been patented by Wynn Resorts. The Las Vegas hotel firm successfully established these copyrights after registering them the year before, according to Arabian Business.

Due to the strict nature of Islamic law under which the UAE operates, the 2022 announcement made waves and attracted the curiosity of many investors and others with a penchant for gambling. These regulations take a dim view of gambling and any activities associated with it, and the GCC has been slow to accept exceptions. This led to speculation about whether Wynn Marjan will actually have any kind of gaming.

The Legal Environment Is Also In Development

Ras Al Khaimah is also reportedly making preparations for the opening of the Marjan casino, working on new gambling rules which were previously unheard of in the region. The government authorities are taking examples from Singaporean and American legislatures as their basis, although alterations are sure to be made. Due to the nature of the Islamic regulations in existence there, many individuals living in the Arab Gulf nations prefer playing in online casinos in the UAE rather than seeking land-based choices. Unfortunately, this is also not simple since these websites are often blocked by government agencies. Many residents of the United Arab Emirates are able to partake in online gambling only thanks to the availability of VPNs and anonymous banking methods.

Arab gambling enthusiasts, however, may soon be able to combine their online gambling with actual brick-and-mortar casino gambling, as Wynn’s CEO stated that the group recognizes the significance and opportunity of the Marjan being the only resort of its kind in the region to offer casino services for quite some time to come, and their intention is to build the resort large enough for the activities and attractions to not become stale.

Choosing A Contractor Brings The Plan One Step Closer To Fruition

Now that Wynn Resorts has selected ALEC as the primary contractor for its ground-breaking Marjan Island resort in Ras Al Khaimah, we have some certainty that the project is proceeding according to plan. It was a joint effort between Marjan Island, RAK Hospitality Holding, and Wynn Resorts Limited that made the announcement. ALEC Engineering and Contracting (ALEC) is actually a division of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) and they will be working alongside the German firm Bauer International, which will handle works related to piling and enabling.

According to a statement by Abdulla Abdooli, the CEO of Marjan, the company has collaborated with top-notch partners to ensure the timely delivery of the biggest project in the hospitality sector of the Emirate, with the goal of satisfying the investors and all other stakeholders of Wynn.

As per his statement, the selection of ALEC Engineering and Contracting LLC and Bauer International FZE, who are renowned for their expertise in constructing notable projects across various sectors, would guarantee the punctual completion of the integrated Wynn Resorts. This project would further boost the flourishing tourism market in Ras Al Khaimah.

The First Hopeful Step To More Relaxed Gambling

The aspiration of Wynn to make the Marjan casino larger than its flagship Las Vegas venue indicates the optimistic expectations of both the region’s government and the developer that this project would lead to a multitude of upcoming gambling ventures in the region. Moreover, there is a possibility that this development may also alter the general perception of gambling.