Hotel and casino operator Wynn Resorts said on Friday it had been awarded the first commercial gaming operator's license in the United Arab Emirates by the country's General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority.
Slot machine inside luxurious Wynn Resort Hotel, a 5-star, themed Paradise, Las Vegas Strip © Mena Today
Hotel and casino operator Wynn Resorts said on Friday it had been awarded the first commercial gaming operator's license in the United Arab Emirates by the country's General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority.
The Las Vegas-based casino firm said it was developing a luxury resort at Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah.
The project, under construction, is a joint venture between affiliates of Wynn Resorts, Marjan and RAK Hospitality Holding, Wynn said.
Ras Al Khaimah's government communications office, RAKTDA, and RAK Hospitality Holding did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The UAE last month set up a federal entity to regulate gambling and hired veterans of the U.S. industry to lead it, ending years of speculation whether the country would allow gambling - illegal across the conservative Gulf region.
The moves to allow gambling are against a backdrop of intensifying economic competition in the Gulf, especially with Saudi Arabia. The UAE last month introduced a raft of liberal legal reforms as it tries to maintain its edge as the region's trade, tourism and financial hub.
Reporting by Disha Mishra
Egypt has strongly condemned on Saturday the terrorist and sabotage plots targeting the security and stability of Gulf states, most recently the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, following the successful dismantling of Hezbollah-linked networks in both countries.
Iran's military issued a stark warning Saturday, threatening to launch "violent strikes" against the UAE emirate of Ras Al Khaimah if Abu Dhabi allowed attacks against Iranian-controlled islands in the Gulf.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the aim of Donald Trump's Board of Peace to fund and deliver the basics of a Gaza reconstruction plan to rebuild Palestinian homes and infrastructure, Politico reported on Saturday.
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