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UAE and the wider Middle-Eastern gaming landscape By Ryan Murray
T
he establishment of a solid gaming market in the MiddleEast would pre-empt a colossal commercial opportunity. The comparative riches of this region versus others are well-documented, but it’s internal gambling appetite is a dynamic that is often overlooked. In a landscape traditionally dominated by conservative rhetoric on a number of life’s ‘vices,’ could we be seeing a different narrative evolve? This article probes into the current and prospective presence of gaming operators in the area, as local discussions around hosting integrated resorts here increasingly percolated. Given recent developments, particular focus will be attributed towards the UAE, where Wynn Resorts have announced their intention to construct a new IR in its Ras Al Khaimah emirate. Although one of the more liberal governance systems in the Middle East, a case study into the UAE’s approach may shed some light on the potential expansion of gaming into neighbouring territories. Indeed, their recent relaxation of societal rules around alco-
INFINITY GAMING
hol consumption and sex before marriage, with gambling likely to be added to this list, could serve to catalyse a wider regional response. Competition between gulf states to attract tourists has been as fierce as ever in recent times, and is now accentuated by a global pandemic that shows only tentative signs of abating. Will a combination of these factors propel Middle-Eastern lawmakers to take an unprecedented step towards gaming? In the UAE, a number of its emirates seem increasingly receptive towards embracing the gaming sector. Wynn’s IR venture is the crystallization of years of gradual movement towards gaming pursuits in the federation. Landing in the busy emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, the new resort will be constructed on Al Marjan, a vast, man-made island cultivated on 2.7 square miles of reclaimed land. The ambitious development is not lacking infinancial support, with the Las Vegas-based firm ploughing a $2billion investment into the project. The Gulf state has been open about its desire to drive further footfall through its borders, regardless of whether this
comes as a result of business or tourism enterprises. The carrot of long-term visas for re-locating entrepreneurs, coupled with the aforementioned reforms in its attitude towards sex and alcohol, serves to promote the likelihood of increased traffic. Thiscentral government sentiment is shared by a number of leadership officials in itscomponent emirates. In 2017, Ras Al Khaimah’s local authorities stated their intention to preside over a substantial uplift in tourism visitations, targeting 3 million holidaymakers per annum by 2025. In the last full year prior to the pandemic, the emirate bore witness to 1.1 million tourists hitting its shores. And, although this optimistic objective has been somewhat undermined by the spread of COVID-19, it hasn’t exactly blown it out of the water. At the pandemic’s peak, the global tourist market slumped to a 75% decline versus its like-for-like performance. In RAK, the comparative figure was represented by only a 25% drop-off.
