Al Marjan Island: The Projects Transforming Ras Al Khaimah’s Coastline
The GCC Journal
Al Marjan Island: The Projects Transforming Ras Al Khaimah’s Coastline
A man-made archipelago on the Arabian Gulf is becoming the UAE’s most ambitious new destination, anchored by a $5.1 billion integrated resort and billions more in hospitality and residential development
Featured image courtesy of Al Marjan Island
Al Marjan Island is a man-made archipelago comprising four coral-shaped islands off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah, spanning 2.7 million square meters of reclaimed land and 7.8 km of beaches. For years, it was a quietly developing waterfront destination with a handful of hotels and residential towers. That is changing fast. A wave of large-scale projects, led by the UAE’s first integrated gaming resort and backed by billions in private investment, is turning this stretch of coastline into one of the most closely watched real estate stories in the Gulf.
Ras Al Khaimah itself is on a growth trajectory that few would have predicted a decade ago. The emirate welcomed a record 1.28 million overnight visitors in 2024, a 12% surge in tourism revenues, and is targeting 3.5 million annual visitors by 2030. Tourism is expected to contribute 20% of the emirate’s GDP, and Al Marjan Island is at the center of that ambition.
Here are the key projects shaping the island’s transformation.
Wynn Al Marjan Island
The UAE’s first integrated resort, opening spring 2027
The anchor project is Wynn Al Marjan Island, a $5.1 billion integrated resort that will be the tallest building in the Northern Emirates when its spire is installed in 2026, bringing the total height to 352 meters across 70 floors. The main structural concrete work topped out in December 2025 at 283 meters, just 27 months after foundation works began. Interior fit-outs are now underway across 1,504 of the resort’s 1,530 guest rooms and suites, and 79% of the facade has been installed.
Project Snapshot
Wynn Al Marjan Island
The UAE’s first integrated resort, featuring 1,530 rooms and suites, signature dining, luxury retail, wellness facilities, a 145,000 sq ft meetings and events center, and the country’s first confirmed gaming area. A joint venture between Wynn Resorts (40% equity), Marjan, and RAK Hospitality Holding.
The project is being built by Dubai-based contractor Alec and financed through a seven-year delayed-draw term loan syndicated by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Deutsche Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Beyond its scale, Wynn Al Marjan Island is significant because it introduces regulated gaming to the UAE for the first time, a move that positions Ras Al Khaimah as a regional competitor to established gaming destinations in Macau, Singapore, and Las Vegas.
Janu Al Marjan Island
Aman Group’s sister brand arrives on the island
Announced in November 2025 and currently under construction, Janu Al Marjan Island is a second joint venture between Wynn Resorts and Marjan, this time bringing Aman Group’s sister brand to Ras Al Khaimah. Janu, which launched in Tokyo in 2023, positions itself as a more social and energetic counterpart to Aman’s ultra-private ethos, blending high-end hospitality with a more communal, wellness-forward experience. The opening is planned for late 2028.
Project Snapshot
Janu Al Marjan Island
Aman Group’s sister brand, known for its social, wellness-forward hospitality concept. A joint venture between Wynn Resorts and Marjan, currently under construction with a late 2028 opening planned.
Marjan Beach
An 85 million sq ft mixed-use destination designed for 74,000 residents
Marjan, the master developer behind Al Marjan Island, has announced Marjan Beach, a massive mixed-use destination on the Arabian Gulf near Al Marjan Island that is designed to attract billions in investment across lifestyle, real estate, and hospitality. The master plan spans 85 million square feet and features eight neighborhoods, three kilometers of beach frontage, and 6.5 million square feet of open green spaces.
Project Snapshot
Marjan Beach
A comprehensive mixed-use destination featuring 12,000 hotel keys, 22,000 residential units, beachfront resorts, a civic center, offices, educational institutions, and 6.5 million sq ft of green space. Designed to support 74,000 residents and a workforce of 32,000.
With capacity for up to 180,000 annual visitors, Marjan Beach is designed as both a thriving community and a tourism hub. The development includes beachfront resorts with public beach access, a residential-commercial hub anchored by a large central park, and a civic center integrating government offices and public services. Its location adjacent to Wynn Al Marjan Island, Al Hamra Village, and the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone gives it immediate connectivity to the broader infrastructure being built around the island.
Wynn Boulevard and Infrastructure
The road and infrastructure connecting the resort to the rest of the Emirates
Ras Al Khaimah has unveiled plans for Wynn Boulevard, a new infrastructure and road corridor that will connect the integrated resort to the rest of the Emirates. The project is part of a broader suite of infrastructure upgrades designed to ensure that Al Marjan Island’s rapid development is supported by the connectivity and utilities it will need. For Ras Al Khaimah, the challenge is not just building world-class hospitality on the island; it’s ensuring that the roads, utilities, and transport links keep pace with the billions being invested in the destination itself.
The Branded Residences Boom
More than 25 new residential projects are in the pipeline
Beyond the headline hospitality projects, Al Marjan Island is experiencing an extraordinary surge in branded and luxury residential development. More than 25 new projects are currently in various stages of planning, construction, or launch. The roster reads like a who’s who of international hospitality and design: The Address Residences, Nikki Beach Resort and Spa, Missoni-branded interiors by Durar Group, SO/ Ras Al Khaimah (opening ahead of the 2026 New Year), and La Mazzoni, a $626 million wellness-integrated luxury development by The Luxe Developers featuring 562 residences across 1.5 million square feet.
Wynn Al Marjan Island is more than a single development; it is the centerpiece of a new global destination taking shape in Ras Al Khaimah.
The pattern across these developments is consistent: international luxury brands, wellness-forward design, waterfront positioning, and premium price points. Many are targeting buyers and investors who see Ras Al Khaimah as a more affordable, less crowded alternative to Dubai, with the added draw of a rapidly improving hospitality and entertainment ecosystem anchored by the Wynn resort.
The Bigger Picture
A new chapter for the Northern Emirates
Al Marjan Island’s transformation is part of a broader story about Ras Al Khaimah’s emergence as one of the UAE’s most compelling investment destinations. The emirate holds an A-range sovereign credit rating, offers 100% foreign ownership rights, and has built a reputation for a stable, pro-business environment. S&P Global Ratings reaffirmed that rating as recently as March 2026, citing the emirate’s strong governance and diversification trajectory.
What makes the Al Marjan story distinctive is its concentration. A single island archipelago is becoming the testing ground for a new model of destination development in the Gulf: one that combines regulated gaming, luxury wellness hospitality, branded residences, and large-scale community planning within a compact, walkable geography. Whether all of these projects can deliver on their timelines remains to be seen, but the trajectory is clear. Ras Al Khaimah is no longer Dubai’s quieter neighbor. It’s building something of its own.
The GCC Journal · March 2026