After decades of rigorous refusal for religious reasons, the country is “converting” to legal gaming. The first mega resort with casino in 2027: a challenge to Las Vegas and Macao, but also a choice to break away from oil
About an hour’s drive from central Dubai, at the northern tip of the United Arab Emirates, Ras Al Khaimah, also called Rak for short, is known for its pottery and mountains. For its nature and rich cultural heritage dating back 7,000 years. Today it is one of the country’s most ambitious destinations, where multimillion-dollar projects and new hospitality concepts are reshaping its image and economy. It has been in the spotlight for a few years now as it prepares for the 2027 opening of Wynn Al Marjan Island, a $5.1 billion integrated resort that will introduce regulated casino gaming to the UAE for the first time, integrating it into a broader luxury travel experience. Built on a sixty-hectare artificial island, the white gold and bronze hotel tower will rise seventy floors above the Persian Gulf and redefine the world’s perception of the emirate. Some already define it as the Las Vegas of the Gulf.
With 1,530 rooms, it promises shopping, 22 restaurants, including a steakhouse by chef Alain Ducasse and the Middle East debut of Delilah, the renowned Las Vegas supper club, a five-star spa with beauty salon and fitness centre, an elegant shopping area with a curated selection of designer boutiques, an entertainment events center and exclusive nightlife, a marina to accommodate luxury yachts and 420 meters of private white sand beach. Once opened, it will not just be a luxury project but a game-changer that will transform Ras Al Khaimah’s economy and revolutionize UAE tourism. It will attract high-profile investors and generate significant job opportunities.
For decades the country has maintained a strict stance on gambling, in line with Islamic law that bans it in most Middle Eastern countries. Only Lebanon is home to the largest casino in the Arab world, Casino du Liban in Jounieh, while in Saudi Arabia they are the strictest, violators are even punished with prison.
In the United Arab Emirates it was decided to make a change with the introduction of new regulatory frameworks in 2024 and with the creation of the General commercial gaming regulatory authority. Hence, the first gaming license was issued to Wynn Resorts. The authority now oversees all legal gambling activity in the country including licensing, compliance and regulation for casinos, lotteries and online platforms. We have thus moved from a clear prohibitionism to a structured opening. An approach that aims to allow the country to develop a legal gambling industry, while avoiding direct conflicts with the traditions and cultural expectations widespread in the seven emirates. Because just as there are residents who consider it a necessary step towards economic growth and leadership in the tourism sector, there are those who are concerned about the possible negative impact on the Islamic value system.
Positioning itself as a future hub for legal casinos, there is likely to be an increase in gaming licenses in the near future beyond the one already awarded to Wynn Resorts, which owns major resorts in Las Vegas and Macau. Taking these two cities as an example, which benefit the most from gamer tourism, there are those who believe the UAE could match or surpass them, adding tens of billions to its economy.
The country expects legalized gambling to attract 3.5 million tourists by 2030, obviously mostly high-end, foreigners accustomed to traveling and gambling, also capturing the interest in gambling of the approximately 9 million expatriates who live here. Rak’s strategic positioning, halfway between East and West and with a third of the world’s population available within a four-hour flight, facilitates its appeal. It is in fact a gateway to the United Arab Emirates itself, to the Middle East, to Africa, to India. Its economy is among the most diversified in the region and offers a business-friendly environment with low operating costs, zero personal income taxes and one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world. It already hosts fifty thousand companies. But what immediately catches your eye when visiting it and talking to people is what a multi-ethnic emirate it is with 0.4 million people from 150 countries.
Integrated resort projects also drive increased real estate demand and that is what is already happening here. As we drive through it we notice many construction cranes with work in progress and real estate signs. Marjan, one of the largest real estate developers in the UAE and the leading one in the Northern Emirates, responsible for the groundbreaking expansion of Al Marjan Island, will support Rak’s growth by merging real estate development and hospitality operations. The Ras Al Khaimah government has a clear vision for the Emirate’s future: it wants to be a pioneer in the region for liveability and a place where opportunities thrive. By investing in infrastructure, improving the quality of life of its residents with one of the highest employment rates in the world, and promoting a business-friendly environment. Objectives that are already creating confidence among investors in the future of the Emirate.
Among them is Californian battery maker Statevolt which plans to produce solid-state cells on site by the end of 2026. Statevolt subsidiary Emirates is preparing to build a $3.2 billion gigafactory in Rak. With an annual production capacity of up to 40 gigawatt hours, the project aims to tap emerging export markets for energy storage and electric mobility in the Middle East region, including Africa and India. Then there is London-listed property developer Dar Global which has joined forces with Aston Martin to create a beachfront residential community on Al Marjan Island, which has a development value of around $250 million. The partnership will mark the automaker’s first real estate collaboration in the Middle East. The Armani group also announced the launch of the first beach villas in the world under its own brand by signing its first seaside properties which will be built in the pristine bay of Raha Island.
While for years Rak has been in the shadow of the neighboring emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it is now emerging as one of the most compelling alternatives in an already consolidated market.
