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
Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, has issued a ban on passengers carrying pagers and walkie-talkies following a series of deadly explosions in Lebanon in mid-September, attributed to Israel in an attack targeting Hezbollah.
As French President Emmanuel Macron hosts the Francophonie Summit this Friday and Saturday, the event highlights both the diplomatic limitations facing Macron after his electoral defeat and the growing questions about the relevance and coherence of the organization itself.
Gulf Arab states sought to reassure Iran of their neutrality in the conflict between Tehran and Israel in meetings in Doha this week on the back of concerns that a wider escalation in violence could threaten their oil facilities, two sources told Reuters.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.