MGM Resorts to Open New Dubai Resort in 2027

MGM Resorts’ latest financial call from April 30, 2025 provided more insight into the future of the resort and entertainment company’s development of a resort complex in Dubai, projected to open in 2027.

Bill Hornbuckle, MGM’s CEO and President, told reporters and those on the call that the development is set to be completed in the third quarter of 2027, and that they’re working on getting approval for a casino. 

“We are building an environment that can accommodate [gaming],” said Hornbuckle. “And that building is due to complete third quarter of ’27. We are literally up on the fifth floor of the MGM Tower as we speak. And so it’s [a] pretty exciting building. It’s an exciting project, a truly interesting resort with all kinds of features. And so hopefully, we’ll get to add gaming.” 

In the Q&A portion of the call, an investor drilled down deeply regarding MGM Resorts plans for Dubai in 2027 with this question:

“Bill, I saw you were out in UAE recently. Can you maybe talk about next steps there for the hotel in Dubai and any gaming opportunities? And then just also interesting to see Barry Diller was with you. Is that strictly from a Board perspective or there may be some ways you can work closer with IAC? Thank you.

Bill Hornbuckle

Well, look, we’ve worked closely with IAC ever since the inception of their investment. I mean that Joey has been instrumental in some of our digital business and very ultimately with creative and the content pieces of our business. And so it’s always been integrated in that context. They’re very active Board members, and we enjoy that. Actually, Paul Salem, Barry and myself and one other individual on our team, we’ve been kind of overriding this thing for the last couple of years. A gentleman named Ari Kastrati went out there. Key mission was to see the prince and to update him on our project, tell him the opportunity that we thought it could bring, not only in the context of a fully integrated resort like we’re building MGM, Aria, Bellagio, but the potential gaming could bring to not only UAE, but Dubai specifically and the whole notion of entertainment and the kind of unique things that we could bring to the city.

And it was a great conversation. It’s completely in their hands. This is just like the states. It’s a — it’s in the province of any one of the individual rulers to determine whether they want gaming or not. They haven’t said yes, they haven’t said no. We are building an environment that can accommodate it. And that building is due to complete third quarter of ’27. We are literally up on the fifth floor of the MGM Tower as we speak. And so it’s pretty exciting building. It’s an exciting project, a truly interesting resort with all kinds of features. And so hopefully, we’ll get to ad gaming. But it’s the ball truly now having made this — taking this — and them taking us — receiving us is in their court.”

According to Skift, the company has been trying to break into the United Arab Emirates for around twenty years, with the resort complex originally announced seventeen years ago as “The Island,” comprising Aria, Bellagio and MGM-branded resorts within a 26-acre man-made island along Dubai’s coastline.

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.

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