Chinese will be one of the customer segments targeted by the US$3.9-billion Middle East casino complex to be managed by Wynn Resorts Ltd. Existing Wynn Resorts clients drawn from around the world will also be tapped for the scheme, reported Bloomberg.
Wynn Al Marjan Island (pictured in an artist’s rendering) will sit on an artificial island in Ras Al Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is set to open in early 2027. Although legislation to allow gambling has yet to be passed by the local authorities, Wynn Resorts has previously stated the scheme is to include gaming facilities. The resort will also feature a hotel with 1,500 rooms, as well as an events centre and a theatre.
“China has never been a big focus of ours,” Raki Phillips, chief executive of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, told Bloomberg on Monday. “It is a big focus of ours right now” with Wynn Al Marjan Island, he added.
Wynn Resorts runs a casino resort in Nevada and one in Massachusetts, in the United States. The firm is the parent of Macau operator Wynn Macau Ltd, with two properties in the special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China.
Wynn Al Marjan Island is to be developed with local partners Marjan LLC and RAK Hospitality Holding LLC.
According to Alison Grinnell, chief executive of government-owned RAK Hospitality, the scheme aims to draw on the existing worldwide appeal of the Wynn brand.
“Wynn have a very loyal following,” she told Bloomberg. “They don’t have a huge number of resorts around the world. They have a very, very select few and they’re very conscious and put a lot of thought and effort as to where they put those resorts.”
Wynn Resorts announced on Sunday the appointment of Thomas Schoen as president of Wynn Al Marjan Island. Mr Schoen, formerly with Marriot International, will oversee all operational aspects of the resort, according to a press release.
