When Macau opened its first integrated gaming resorts between 2004 and 2011, international arrivals grew between 12 and 40 per cent year-on-year, while Singapore witnessed a 20 per cent surge in tourism after Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa began operations.

But UAE's Ras Al Khaimah is forecast to outpace both by recording a 65 per cent jump in visitors in the first year after Wynn Al Marjan Island Resorts is launched in 2027, according to Tariq Bsharat, chief strategy and business development officer at Marjan Island's top management.

The emirate is also expected to sustain a 10 to 20 per cent growth annually through 2030, thanks to the promising project.

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At the International Real Estate Investment Summit in Ras Al Khaimah, Bsharat presented data showing that the Wynn Al Marjan project will have the most significant impact in Wynn's history, proportionally larger than any of the group's developments in Las Vegas, Macau, or Boston.

“Ras Al Khaimah is not just welcoming a Wynn, it is building an entire tourism ecosystem around it,” said Bsharat.

According to studies by Colliers and EY, the upcoming resort is expected to bring 3.8 million visitors by 2027, rising to 5.5 million by 2030. The destination will contribute nearly 10 per cent of all international arrivals to the UAE, while driving population growth from 400,000 to over 600,000 residents by the end of the decade.

Bsharat said that the Wynn effect will extend far beyond tourism, increasing demand in real estate, retail, hospitality, and F&B sectors, and creating an overall uplift for Ras Al Khaimah's economy.

A study conducted by Colliers revealed how Ras Al Khaimah will experience a sharp and sustained rise in visitor numbers after the resort's launch. The emirate is projected to welcome over 5.5 million visitors annually by 2030, accounting for nearly one in every ten international tourists to the UAE.

The data also revealed that Wynn Al Marjan Island will create a gap in hotel supply of around 5,000 rooms in 2027, which could rise to 7,500 rooms by 2030 under an optimistic scenario.“The Wynn project will not only attract visitors but also encourage major investment in hospitality and residential developments,” said Bsharat.

Population and real estate boom

EY findings also highlight that tourism growth will naturally drive an expansion in population. Ras Al Khaimah's population, currently at around 400,000, is expected to grow to between 600,000 and 650,000 by 2030. To accommodate this growth, new housing, retail outlets, and staff accommodation will be needed.

Since the announcement of Wynn project in January 2022, real estate prices in Ras Al Khaimah have already surged. Off-plan apartment rates have nearly tripled, rising from Dh950 per square foot to Dh2,838, while villa prices have climbed 92 per cent, reaching Dh2,058 per square foot.

Bsharat said this trend reflects investor confidence in the emirate's long-term potential.“The Wynn announcement has already created a wave of optimism in the property market. We are seeing international interest, new branded residences, and large-scale mixed-use developments taking shape across the emirate,” he said.

Learning from global success

The success stories of other Wynn destinations provide a glimpse of what lies ahead. In Macau, the opening of Wynn and other integrated resorts triggered one of the strongest tourism expansions in Asia, with annual visitor growth of up to 40 per cent. Singapore saw similar results, with international arrivals increasing rapidly following its integrated resort openings.

But Ras Al Khaimah's case stands apart.“This will be the first Wynn resort to open in a new and growing destination,” said Bsharat.“The project will help shape Ras Al Khaimah's future and turn it into one of the world's top places for tourism and leisure."

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