Ras Al Khaimah's planned multibillion-dollar resort on Marjan Island with Las Vegas hotel operator Wynn Resorts will create at least 4,000 jobs and become the next “catalyst” for tourism in the emirate and the UAE, an official has said.
The economic benefits from the mega resort will be “massive”, stimulating foreign direct investments and employment in the northern emirate, Raki Phillips, chief executive of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, told The National on Thursday.
“From an employment and FDI perspective, it will be great,” he said.
“On a conservative basis, this would create easily over 4,000 additional jobs at a minimum, if not more.
“Every now and then you get a catalyst of something that launches in the tourism industry that takes it to the next level … I truly believe that Wynn will be the next tourism catalyst to the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and to the UAE and we're very excited about it.”
Wynn Resorts, the Las Vegas-based hotel and casino operator, in January announced plans to develop a multibillion-dollar beachside resort in Ras Al Khaimah, marking the biggest FDI in the emirate.
The resort, which is designed to include 1,000 rooms and a “gaming” area, will open in 2026. Wynn is best known for its casino hotel resorts in Las Vegas, Boston and Macau.
The emirate has attracted nearly Dh2bn in tourism projects this year, with more deals in the pipeline, Mr Phillips said.
Asked if the authority has been approached by other casinos for similar deals following the Wynn announcement, he said: “Not at this time, our focus is really to continue to diversify our tourism strategy, making sure the destination continues to be at the forefront and offering opportunities … We are such an easy place to do business in.”
The emirate, which is traditionally popular with Eastern European tourists, has registered only a slight dip of 2.7 per cent in visitors from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus this year, following Moscow's military offensive in Ukraine, Mr Phillips said.
The three countries together make up about 10 per cent of the total annual visitors to Ras Al Khaimah, he added.
However, the impact was compensated by growth in visitors from other markets in Latin America, the GCC and India, he said.
The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority opened representative offices in Sao Paulo, Riyadh and Mumbai this year to attract more visitors.
“We pivoted to look at other markets to help support other declines in the short or long term,” Mr Phillips said. “It's important to be nimble and work quickly not to miss opportunities.”
Overall visitor numbers are up this year, despite a number of challenges stemming from the Kazakhstan crisis, the Russia-Ukraine war and higher oil prices, he said.
In the first quarter, tourist arrivals into Ras Al Khaimah rose 8.2 per cent from the same period in 2019 to 286,000 visitors, with significant growth in visitors from Germany, UK, Poland and the Czech Republic, Mr Phillips said.
The emirate, which hosted 1.1 million tourists in 2019 and 990,000 in 2021, is on track to fully recover this year and even “significantly surpass” pre-pandemic levels, he added.
Ras Al Khaimah continues its rebound from the impact of Covid-19 through opening new hotels, developing Jebel Jais attractions, enhancing hiking trails and promoting its beaches and mountains to travellers seeking open, spacious areas for personal wellness post-pandemic.
A revival in business events and exhibitions, the return of destination weddings and the popularity of glamping sites will help drive growth this year, Mr Phillips said.
The focus on Latin America, India and Gulf markets will also continue to be a priority.
“Brazil is a gateway to the entire region,” he said. “I have a lot of high hopes for India. It has big potential, it's a big market within close proximity.”
Meanwhile, higher inflation rates and the impact of higher oil prices on global travel demand is a “huge concern” but the destination remains great value for money, he said.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia
When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start
Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1
Tickets: Admission is free
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle
Palestine and Israel - live updates
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Gurm, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Al Nafece, Al Muatasm Al Balushi, Mohammed Ramadan
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adrie de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Ottoman, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Liwa Oasis – Group 2 (PA) 300,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeemat Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ganbaru, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BANGLADESH SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
