The upcoming MGM resort in Dubai will not have gaming facilities, its CEO has confirmed. MGM Resorts is one of the top operators of integrated resorts, including the world’s largest hotel, the 6,852-key MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
In a recent earnings call for the second quarter, MGM Resorts CEO and president Bill Hornbuckle discussed the long-planned Dubai project, describing it as a “non-gaming integrated resort”. However, he said he watching the wider developments around gaming in the region with “great interest”.
Hornbuckle said: “In the U.A.E, we continue to make progress on bringing the MGM brand family to Dubai, where we have a management agreement for a non-gaming integrated resort that has been developed in partnership with Wasl.
“The project has broken ground and work continues on the development progress, and we will watch with great interest what does or doesn’t happen around gaming in the region, hopefully, in the near future.”
Announced in 2017 and initially planned to open in 2021, the MGM Resort in Dubai is expected to feature 1,000 rooms and 10 villas. In keeping with its Vegas theme, the property will feature a similar water show, a theatre, a mix of culinary venues, speciality shops, traditional and interactive museums, a beach club and adventure zones for both adults and children.
Hornbuckle’s comments about gaming in the region follow the news that another Las Vegas major, Wynn Resorts, would open a hotel in Ras Al Khaimah’s Marjan Island. The integrated resort was announced at the same time as Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) created a division specifically for the regulation of “integrated resorts in the emirate”.
The project is pegged for a 2026 opening, with hiring slated to begin in 2024.
It is the first beach resort being developed by Wynn Resorts globally. The current scope includes a 1,000-plus room hotel, a high-end shopping mall, a state-of-the-art meeting and convention facility, a spa, more than 10 restaurants and lounges, a wide array of entertainment choices, a gaming area, and other amenities.
