Wynn Resorts to open Middle Est project in September, coincide with new tourism season

• Wynn Resorts will still open Al Marjan Island this year, in September 2026
• The company says that there has been a noticeable delay to the project’s timeline
• Wynn Al Marjan Island will now cost $5.7bn, $600m more than initially thought

As the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East drags on, Wynn Resorts has detailed the pending opening of its Wynn Al Marjan Island, the region’s first casino resort, which is due to open in 2026 in the United Arab Emirates.

Wynn Resorts commits to opening date for Al Marjan Island project

A regional conflict involving large-scale military action by Iran, Israel, the United States, and affiliated parties has thrown energy prices into chaos, and one of the world’s main shipping routes, the Strait of Hormuz, into a near-permanent deadlock.

Despite this, Wynn Resorts has remained cautiously buoyant about the project’s prospects, citing positive data from tourism in the United Arab Emirates, and the Wynn Al Marjan Island first announced in January 2022, set to materialize by the year’s end.

"In addition, we experienced certain other disruptions associated with the movement of staff and consultants and other non-recurring issues. These disruptions have impacted both the timing and cost of the project," the firm said in its most recent financial update.

In fact, the company was able to offer something better, giving a specific date with the casino resort expected to open its doors for its first guests in September 2026.

Wynn Resorts would have to fit a heftier bill for the upcoming project

While generally optimistic, and calling the regional conflict the source of only a "slight delay," the budget for the project has been increased by $600m, pushing the total number to $5.7bn.

During the company’s earnings calls for the second quarter, Wynn Resorts projected nothing but optimism.

"As development of Wynn Al Marjan Island progresses, regional conflict-related disruptions initially impacted global supply chains and continue to impact the shipping insurance markets," the company said, touching on the upcoming project and confirming that the venue would be open to the public come September.

About half of the $600m project increase is associated directly with disruptions caused by the regional conflict, but others have to do with normal business developments and interest costs.

The September opening date is not picked at random either, as it will be a time of strong tourism uptick, with Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings having this to add:

"What we are building in the region is one-of-a-kind and the quality of work on site is truly extraordinary. We continue to believe this will be the most exciting integrated resort opening globally in over a decade, and we remain as committed to and confident in the UAE as ever."

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