Opening of first UAE casino expected in September 2027: Wynn CEO

NEW YORK - The United Arab Emirates’ first licensed casino is now expected to open in September 2027 after delays related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Wynn Resorts announced on Aug 4.

“Construction is progressing rapidly,” CEO Craig Billings told a conference call with analysts on the casino giant’s second-quarter results.

“We now expect the project to open its doors to the public in September 2027,” he said.

Billings had announced in May that there would be a “modest delay” in the project, citing “logistical and shipping challenges in the region” after the war broke out following strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran in late February.

Wynn, a US company, operates casinos in Las Vegas and Boston as well as in Macau, a Chinese territory near Hong Kong.

In October 2024, the group received the first commercial gaming operator’s licence to be issued by the UAE, where gambling is currently banned.

It is now developing a 1,542-room luxury resort at Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates that constitute the UAE.

“We are now actively progressing through the interior fit-out of the hotel rooms, with mechanical, electrical, and finishing work, all moving along in sequence,” Billings said on the Aug 4 call.

The CEO said the Middle East conflict was still affecting the casino’s construction due to global supply chain disruptions and personnel movement.

“These disruptions have impacted both the timing and cost of the project,” Billings said, estimating the additional cost at “approximately $600 million,” about half of which was attributed to the conflict, as well as higher material costs and shipping price increases.

Shares of Wynn Resorts rose 5 per cent in after-hours trading in the US. AFP