China, Hong Kong investment eyed for Wynn Al Marjan casino
A trade delegation from the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) has travelled to Hong Kong to seek investors from the city and mainland China for what is set to become the United Arab Emirates’ first integrated resort featuring a casino.
The three-day visit, led by senior officials and business leaders from Ras Al Khaimah, is focused on boosting the emirate’s presence in Asia and drawing long-term investment for Wynn Al Marjan Island, the high-profile tourism project set to open in early 2027.
Speaking during the Asian Financial Forum 2026 in Hong Kong, Abdulla Al Abdouli, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Marjan, RAK’s master developer, called Hong Kong a key gateway to Asia and China. He said the emirate is looking to broaden its network of investors and strengthen ties with regional companies and family offices, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
“We would like to have a wider window and a broader range of companies to be part of investment in Ras Al Khaimah,” Al Abdouli said, adding that the delegation hoped the visit would increase international awareness of the emirate’s development plans.
Casino to open formally in 2027
At the centre of the investment pitch is Wynn Al Marjan Island, a $5 billion (€4.6 billion) integrated resort being developed by Wynn Resorts, a renowned casino and luxury hotel operator. Wynn, which operates major resorts in Las Vegas and Macau, will run the project under its global brand. The resort is scheduled to open in 2027.
The development will be located on Al Marjan Island, a man-made archipelago off RAK’s coast, and is expected to include more than 1,500 hotel rooms, suites, and villas. In addition to the casino, the resort will feature restaurants, retail outlets, entertainment venues, conference facilities, and beachfront attractions.
RAK officials say the project is designed to showcase the emirate’s natural assets, including its 43 kilometres of coastline and proximity to Jebel Jais, the UAE’s highest peak. The broader aim is to position Ras Al Khaimah as a premium leisure and tourism destination, rather than a standalone gaming hub.
Investment for tourism strategy
The casino-led resort forms a central pillar of RAK’s wider tourism strategy. The emirate is targeting more than 3.5 million visitors a year by 2030, up from around 1.3 million in 2024, with large-scale hospitality projects expected to play a key role in driving growth.
During the visit, the delegation also met representatives from Hong Kong’s expanding family office sector. While the city is implementing new policies to attract global private wealth, RAK is developing its own family office and investment infrastructure to support cross-border capital and corporate structuring.
Al Abdouli said Ras Al Khaimah did not view itself as competing with Hong Kong, but as offering geographic diversification. He noted that many wealth advisers, legal firms, and corporate service providers already operate across both regions.
New licencing likely
The project comes as the UAE establishes a federal regulatory framework for commercial gaming, with expectations that licences may eventually be issued on a limited, emirate-by-emirate basis. By moving first, Ras Al Khaimah is positioning itself at the forefront of a potential new sector within the country’s economic diversification drive.
Analysts say RAK’s push to attract foreign investors shows the importance of the Wynn Al Marjan Island project. They note that spreading capital and operational risk is particularly important given that regulated casino gaming is new to the UAE.
At the same time, analysts believe that long-term investors from Hong Kong and mainland China bring not only funding but also experience in large integrated resorts, backing tourism growth, real estate development, and reduced reliance on public finances.
Don’t just read the news — stay ahead of it. Subscribe HERE to SiGMA’s Top 10 News countdown for stories shaping iGaming’s future, weekly insights from the world’s biggest iGaming community, and exclusive subscriber-only offers.
