Amidst the shimmering skyline of a city carved from the sands, an audacious new venture rises, not with the silence of the desert, but with the roar of innovation. MGM Resorts, the arbiter of global luxury, announced its latest foray into the mirage-turned-reality that is Dubai. Here, on the windswept reaches of Bluewaters Island, a 26-acre oasis blooms under the sun, soon to host The Island—a 1,500-room resort composed of three distinct towers that herald the names MGM, Bellagio, and Aria, akin to the resplendent jewels in a crown.
This triple tower marvel, complete with the warm embrace of lavish accommodations, is just the prelude to the pièce de résistance: a spherical events venue, ensconced at the heart of the complex like a secret waiting to be discovered. With its reflective exterior catching the sun’s rays, the Dubai sphere is MGM’s homage to architectural bravery—a “tiny silver thing,” as understated in descriptions as it is grand in ambitions.
Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts CEO and president, painted visions of this marvel before an enthralled Skift Global Forum audience in New York City. He spoke of the sphere with a reverence reserved for the divine, promising an attraction “equally compelling” as its larger Las Vegas cousin, albeit scaled for an intimate sojourn into the annals of Dubai. Indeed, with 300 seats, this mini showroom and its promised visual spectacles will provide an homage to a city that leaped from the folds of the desert to a gargantuan metropolis in mere decades.
With fevered excitement, Hornbuckle disclosed MGM’s pioneering resolve to manifest its sphere from the very sands of independence, eschewing ties with the Las Vegas landmark or other spheres that once spun in James Dolan’s global visions. And yet, MGM keeps its eyes to the horizon, open to future allegiances when the stars of fate align.
The story of The Island is not without the shadow of challenge; progress, as if mirroring the silent sands it stands upon, shifted imperceptibly since the UAE’s ruler graced it with approval in March 2017. Despite the languid pace and the abandoned dreams of a casino as integral as the desert sun, momentum has been reignited—though the oasis remains free from the clink of gaming chips and the whispers of fortune sought.
Still, where there is sand, there is potential. Hornbuckle’s vision extends beyond the present, effusing optimism for a time when gaming finds its place in a culture that has kept it at arm’s length. To the nascent General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority and the whispers of officialdom softening to the siren calls of tourism, The Island stands ready with “several podiums” awaiting the roll of dice, should the laws of the land decree it so.
The making of The Island is a dance of partnership, a collaboration with Wasl Hospitality and Leisure that echoes MGM’s dance with destiny that dates back to 2007. Then, the purchase of a half stake in CityCenter by a Dubai World subsidiary to alleviate MGM’s substantial costs; now, the full circle with the buyback of infinity.
But every oasis has its rivals on the horizon. North of Dubai, Wynn Resorts seeds its own dream on Al Marjan Island, sprouting a $4 billion resort that too awaits the flowering of licensed gaming. Not to be overshadowed, the siren song of Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai, once a haven without gaming tunes, has changed hands, signaling a perpetual game of power and presence.
In this tale of opulence and one-upmanship, of possibility and perseverance, MGM’s The Island—even as it stands amidst a desert in flux—embodies the unyielding spirit that renders Dubai a testament to the audacity of human ambition. This sphere may not drop an adrenaline-laden plummet, but it promises a plunge into Dubai’s heart all the same.
