Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings confirmed this morning that the company is anticipating a “modest delay” to the opening date of its US$5.1 billion integrated resort project in the UAE but insisted that construction continues to progress.
His comments follow reports this week that Wynn was considering postponing the current 1H27 opening timeline for Wynn Al Marjan island, located in Ras Al Khaimah, due to construction delays.
Billings clarified the situation during the company’s 1Q26 earnings call, acknowledging that there have been logistical and shipping challenges in the Middle East due to the conflict in Iran, but added, “Deliveries have largely continued and we are re-routing shipments and sourcing alternative materials where needed.”
Construction, he observed, continues with more than 22,000 workers on site and Wynn’s operations and design and development teams “in the building.”
“The project team has been incredibly resilient,” Billings said. “While we have faced logistical and shipping challenges in the region, deliveries have largely continued and we are re-routing shipments and sourcing alternative materials where needed. Based on conditions today, these challenges are manageable, though we are realistic that the picture could shift as the situation evolves.
“We do expect a modest delay in our opening timeline and I expect that we will quantify that in the coming months. That said, the project continues to move forward every day.”
According to Billings, while Wynn took time early to ensure the mental health of its workers in the UAE, “Life kind of carried on relatively normally in the UAE … and as you’ve seen, the Emiratis just did an incredible job of defending the country.
“Construction actually continued throughout the entire series of events and so we’re carrying on. Logistics is the only challenge and it’s not tragic. Supply chains have this amazing ability to become flexible and to find additional routes to market, and we’ve seen that be the case.
“There are certainly things that are not as easy to get as they would have been before the conflict, but we’re more than making do. We’re actually advancing the project and moving ahead.
“Construction continues, we’re making do just fine and we will carry on.”
Billings also reiterated his belief in the long-term opportunity the UAE offers, pointing to its “world-class tourism infrastructure, unrivaled airport capacity and a strong policy framework.
“As the region stabilizes, we expect the country will find smart ways to accelerate tourism and over the longer term will continue to be one of the most attractive destinations in the world for high-net worth residents and visitors,” he said.
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