Wynn Resorts chief executive Craig Billings has confirmed a “modest delay” to the planned spring 2027 opening of Wynn Al Marjan Island, citing logistical and shipping disruptions caused by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Construction continues with more than 22,000 workers on site, and the company has rerouted supplies to keep the $5.1 billion resort advancing. Billings stressed the word “modest” intentionally, noting that the UAE has “world-class tourism infrastructure, unrivalled airport capacity and a strong policy framework” that should help the project recover lost time once shipping lanes reopen.
The delay is the first concrete timeline revision for what is the UAE's first federally licensed commercial gaming resort and, at 305 metres, what will become the world's eighth-tallest hotel. While the opening date is now expected to move, the underlying asset is largely built, with the tower topped out and the façade well advanced. For Ras Al Khaimah, the revision matters because Wynn is the anchor around which visitor, employment and property-market expectations for the next decade have been set — any slippage ripples through hotel revenue forecasts, FDI metrics and the emirate's pitch to international investors.