Wynn Al Marjan Island Faces a ‘Modest Delay’ to Its 2027 Opening

Wynn Al Marjan Island will open later than its early-2027 target. Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings confirmed the modest delay during the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings call on May 7, blaming logistics and shipping disruption in the Gulf rather than any change to the project’s economics. The $5.1 billion integrated resort in Ras Al Khaimah remains on the books for 2027, and Billings said the company would put a number on the slip “in the coming months.” For now, “modest” is the word Wynn keeps repeating on purpose.

What Billings Said, and Where the Date Stands

Wynn Resorts booked first-quarter operating revenues of $1.86 billion on May 7, 2026, and the call ran through the usual property-by-property detail before turning to the UAE. Billings told analysts the company “expects a modest delay, and I use the word modest very intentionally, because that’s what we believe it’ll be.” The framing was deliberate: Wynn is signalling a pushback measured in months, not a redesign of the schedule, and the slip is tied to logistics, not to any rethink of what the resort will be when it opens. Wynn Resorts first quarter 2026 earnings release

Construction, Billings said, has continued to progress with over 22,000 workers on site. Deliveries have largely continued despite regional shipping disruption, with Wynn rerouting shipments and sourcing alternative materials where needed. Skift first reported that the delay was driven by supply-chain and logistics challenges linked to regional geopolitical instability, citing the same earnings call. the modest delay confirmed by Wynn’s CEO

We expect a modest delay, and I use the word modest very intentionally, because that’s what we believe it’ll be.

Billings said Wynn does not want to size the delay until it has “a real view on stability.” Wynn Al Marjan Island is currently expected to open in 2027, and the company has not moved that language. The cash commitments tell the same story: in the first quarter alone, Wynn put $100.1 million into the 40%-owned joint venture that is building the resort, taking its life-to-date contribution to $1.01 billion.

A 70-Floor Tower Above the Arabian Gulf

Wynn Resorts and Marjan marked the project’s structural topping out on December 15, 2025. The 70-floor tower reached 283 meters at its highest structural concrete point, just 27 months after foundation works began. Once the spire is installed in 2026, the building will reach its full architectural height of 352 meters, making it the tallest man-made structure in Ras Al Khaimah by more than 100 meters. the December 2025 topping out announcement

The tower topped out ahead of schedule, and the project has moved fully into the interior build-out phase. Senior leaders from Wynn Resorts, Wynn Design & Development, and Marjan gathered atop the structure for the ceremony; each received a steel bar finished in 24-karat gold, taken from the tower itself.

December’s topping-out release broke the build into milestones. The latest progress figures, all reported by Wynn:

More recent reporting from Gulf News puts the tower at 299 meters, with 21,852 of 26,471 façade panels installed, or 83% of the façade complete. Wynn has poured 438,968 cubic meters of concrete on the project, and the build has generated more than 18,000 construction jobs. The pace of the build, rather than any single milestone, is what is now being tested by Gulf shipping and supply-chain disruption.

Inside the Property: 1,530 Keys and 22 Restaurants

Set across more than 60 hectares on Al Marjan Island, the resort will carry 1,217 resort rooms and 297 Enclave suites, plus two Royal Apartments, four Garden Townhomes, and 10 Marina Estates. The two Royal Apartments, each around 15,000 square feet, crown the top of the tower; the Garden Townhomes and Marina Estates extend the property down to the waterline. 1,530 guest accommodations in total, on a single integrated site, is the headline number Wynn has been carrying since licensing.

Wynn has so far named two of the 22 restaurants, lounges, and bars planned for the property. The first is Delilah, the supper-club concept out of Las Vegas, with Kendall Jenner, Justin Bieber, and Drake counted among its past guests, reimagined for Ras Al Khaimah as a Beirut-golden-age entertainment venue. The second is an unnamed steakhouse from Alain Ducasse, the Michelin-decorated French chef, that will sit across two floors of the resort. Wynn Design & Development president Todd-Avery Lenahan has said most of the 22 venues will face the beach, mixing imports from Wynn Las Vegas with homegrown Marjan exclusives. Lenahan also confirmed the UAE iteration of the Las Vegas multimedia show Lake of Dreams will be called Sea of Dreams, and will be six times larger in Ras Al Khaimah.

The Casino: First License, a Floor ‘Somewhat Larger’ Than Vegas

Wynn Al Marjan Island will hold the UAE’s first commercial casino. On October 4, 2024, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority issued Wynn’s developing entity a Commercial Gaming Facility Operator license, the first such license awarded in the country. The licensee is a joint venture between Wynn Resorts, Marjan, and RAK Hospitality Holding. the October 2024 GCGRA gaming license release

Billings has said on prior earnings calls that the casino floor at Wynn Al Marjan Island is “shaping up to be somewhat larger than Wynn Las Vegas,” Wynn’s flagship on the Strip. The phrasing has stayed consistent across Wynn’s investor updates since 2022.

Wynn Las Vegas carries approximately 194,000 square feet of casino space across two hotel towers. The Marjan floor will run larger than that, with the company describing the design as built around “numerous pockets of energy and compression.” The license predates the delay: the regulatory milestone that lets Wynn operate a casino in the UAE was already in hand before construction hit its current supply-chain friction.

Punchdrunk Brings Immersive Theatre to Ras Al Khaimah

On June 29, 2026, Wynn Al Marjan Island announced a partnership with Punchdrunk, the London-based immersive theatre company behind Sleep No More. The collaboration marks Punchdrunk’s first production in the MENA region, and the show will debut with the resort’s 2027 opening. Felix Barrett MBE, Punchdrunk’s founder and artistic director, will direct in collaboration with Billings. the June 2026 Punchdrunk partnership announcement

The venue will draw on Art Deco design, with influences from Hollywood’s golden age and 1970s Las Vegas woven into the architecture. Rich textiles, sculptural interiors, and expansive social areas will turn the building itself into part of the storytelling. Wynn built its entertainment reputation on productions like Le Rêve and a long-running partnership with Cirque du Soleil; the Punchdrunk deal extends that playbook in a different direction.

Audiences will choose between two formats: a traditional seated theatre performance in the upper level, or a roaming immersive experience that moves guests backstage and through hidden environments. Each format offers the same narrative, but frames it differently.

Among the dozens of unique and transportive guest experiences we offer in our resorts, entertainment has always been an essential element. With Punchdrunk, we are creating something entirely original for Wynn Al Marjan Island. A theatrical world that could only exist here, and one that reflects the craft and dedication to artistry at the heart of Wynn.

Barrett called the partnership with Billings and his team a chance to design a “brand-new show” for the resort’s new theatre. The Punchdrunk slot also locks in one piece of Wynn’s entertainment pipeline before opening, an unusual move for a property still under construction.

Wynn’s Wider Ras Al Khaimah Wager

Wynn is not building just one resort on Al Marjan Island. The financial commitment is already substantial: Wynn put $100.1 million into the joint venture in the first quarter of 2026 alone, taking its life-to-date cash contribution to the project to $1.01 billion. Wynn owns 40% of the joint venture, with Marjan and RAK Hospitality Holding as partners. Adjusted Property EBITDAR across Wynn’s existing portfolio reached $562.4 million in the same quarter, against $1.86 billion in total operating revenue.

Wynn Resorts and Marjan are advancing a second joint-venture project on the archipelago, Janu Al Marjan Island, announced in November 2025 and now under construction. The development will bring Aman Group’s sister brand, Janu, to Ras Al Khaimah, with an opening planned for late 2028. The two projects together anchor more than 60 acres of land designated for future growth.

Billings has said Wynn expects to put a number on the modest delay “in the coming months,” as conditions in the Gulf settle and the rerouted supply chains normalize. The structural work is finished; the question now is how many months the interior fit-out and finishing phase absorbs before the property can welcome its first guests.

• Joint venture ownership: 40% Wynn Resorts, with Marjan and RAK Hospitality Holding as partners.
• Q1 2026 contribution: $100.1 million in cash, $1.01 billion life-to-date.
• Adjacent project: Janu Al Marjan Island, planned for late 2028 opening under Aman Group’s Janu brand.
• Wynn Bridge: A 548-metre connection linking the resort through Wynn Boulevard to the E311 and E611 highways, with completion targeted for late 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Wynn Al Marjan Island open?

Wynn Al Marjan Island is currently expected to open in 2027. The resort had been targeting an early-2027 opening before CEO Craig Billings confirmed a “modest delay” on the May 7, 2026 earnings call, tied to Gulf shipping and supply-chain disruption.

Why is Wynn Al Marjan Island delayed?

Wynn has attributed the slip to logistics and shipping challenges caused by regional geopolitical instability. The company said deliveries have largely continued, with shipments rerouted and alternative materials sourced where needed, but the company does not yet want to put a number on the delay.

How many rooms does Wynn Al Marjan Island have?

The resort carries 1,530 guest accommodations in total: 1,217 resort rooms, 297 Enclave suites, two Royal Apartments on the tower’s top floors, four Garden Townhomes, and 10 Marina Estates. The site spans more than 60 hectares.

Does Wynn Al Marjan Island have a casino?

Yes. Wynn received the UAE’s first commercial gaming license from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority on October 4, 2024. CEO Craig Billings has said the casino floor is “shaping up to be somewhat larger than Wynn Las Vegas,” which carries approximately 194,000 square feet of casino space.

How much will rooms cost at Wynn Al Marjan Island?

Room rates have not been announced. For comparison, entry-level room rates at Wynn Las Vegas start from USD 299 per night, which is Dhs 1,098.