The Week in RAK: 2 to 8 November 2026
The news from Ras Al Khaimah, 1 hour from Dubai, that matters if you are thinking of buying or living here.
The lead story
RAK Central Square's five towers reach full height
Marjan and RAKEZ marked the topping out of RAK Central Square on 5 November. The structure of all five office towers is complete, and the facades and building services are now going in.
The business district is on track to open in the last quarter of 2027. All 26 development plots across the wider RAK Central have sold, to developers including Pantheon, Lapis, BNW, Sugee, Major Developments and DARA. The masterplan has more than 7,000 apartments, over 1,000 hotel rooms and about 3 million sq ft of offices.
Number of the week
New businesses joined the RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry from January to September 2026, with about AED 1.2 billion of capital. The Chamber published the figures on 6 November.
Economy and business
1,414 new businesses join the RAK Chamber in nine months
The Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce and Industry registered 1,414 new businesses from January to September, set up by 1,985 investors of 77 nationalities, with about AED 1.2 billion of capital. There were 447 in the third quarter, against 415 in the second. The Chamber also renewed 14,570 licences.
RAK aims to grow tourism to up to 30% of its economy
Phillipa Harrison, chief executive of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, told the first Leaders' Summit at World Travel Market in London this week that tourism is about 5% of RAK's economy today. The target is 20% to 30% within five to ten years, under a masterplan that runs to 2040.
UAE businesses keep growing, and raise prices at a record pace
S&P Global's purchasing managers' index for the UAE's non-oil economy eased to 54.8 in October from 55.3 in September; any reading above 50 means growth. Firms raised their selling prices at the fastest rate since the survey began in 2009, citing fuel, freight and materials.
A French firm starts RAK's first search for natural hydrogen
The RAK Department of Energy gave France's Mantle8 exclusive rights to negotiate for Block 7, where it has started a survey of up to 24 months using more than 1,000 seismic sensors. A full exploration agreement follows only if the data is positive.
RAK Ceramics third-quarter profit up 15.5%
RAK Ceramics made a net profit of AED 78.0 million from July to September, 15.5% more than a year earlier, on revenue of AED 861.5 million, up 4.4%.
RAK Investment and Business Summit on 11 and 12 November
The RAK Chamber announced on 5 November that the summit, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, will be held at the RAK Exhibition Centre on 11 and 12 November, with real estate investment, AI and technology on the agenda.
Property and building
Wynn Al Marjan Island on track to open in September 2027
Wynn Resorts said on 5 November that Wynn Al Marjan Island → is expected to open in September 2027, with the fit-out of all guest rooms under way. It put another USD 62.2 million into its 40%-owned joint venture from July to September, taking its total to USD 1.12 billion. The resort's rooms are hotel rooms, not homes for sale.
RAK Properties plans 691 more homes by the end of the year
RAK Properties made a net profit of AED 111.37 million in the nine months to September, on revenue of AED 809.72 million. It sold 260 homes worth AED 476 million, at an average of AED 1.83 million each against AED 1.65 million a year earlier, and its sales backlog rose to AED 3.18 billion. It handed 356 homes to buyers and plans 691 more in the fourth quarter, at Beach Houses and Cape Hayat.
ALEC FITOUT opens a 7,500 sq m factory in RAK
The contractor ALEC FITOUT has opened a 7,500 sq m joinery and fit-out plant near Al Marjan Island →, with 24 machines and more than 200 specialist jobs. It chose RAK to be close to Wynn Al Marjan Island, one of its group's largest contracts; the ALEC group is the main contractor building the resort. It says the plant will also serve a growing pipeline of projects across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Living and visiting
Wynn Al Marjan Island sets out wedding venues for up to 1,260 guests
Wynn Al Marjan Island → gave details of its events centre on 2 November: a column-free ballroom that seats up to 1,260 for a banquet, and an event lawn for 620. Weddings start from late 2027.
RAK's public beaches are still closed after the oil leak
RAK's public beaches, closed by the Public Services Department since 24 October, were still closed on 6 November, with a reopening date to be announced. Hotel pools and restaurants are open.
ANZU Beach Club is coming to Al Hamra
The French group Paris Society will open ANZU Beach Club on the Al Hamra Boardwalk with the developer Al Hamra. It is one of four UAE openings the group plans from late 2026 into early 2027; no opening date has been given.
A desert music festival, 13 to 15 November
Barrel 23, a camping music festival with artists from 11 countries, will run at Desert Inn Resort and Camp from 13 to 15 November.
Our view
Giles Dean
RAK Central Square's five towers reaching full height show that Ras Al Khaimah is building a business district of its own.
Offices are what turn a place people visit into a place where people build careers, and the companies are already coming: 1,414 new businesses joined the RAK Chamber in the first nine months of this year. Each company that takes space in RAK Central brings staff who will want to live close to work, and that is steady, year-round demand for homes. For owners, it means a deeper pool of tenants and support for rents. For tenants, it means more of the jobs that matter are here in RAK. For buyers, the areas around RAK Central are the ones to watch as the late 2027 opening approaches.
ALEC FITOUT could have built its new factory anywhere in the region, and it chose RAK. The group building Wynn putting its own money and more than 200 jobs here is an endorsement of RAK's future. It is preparing for years of work in the emirate, from Wynn to the projects that will follow it, and that work means more hotels, more homes and more people choosing to live here.
The tourism authority's aim of raising tourism from about 5% of the economy to as much as 30% points the same way. More visitors support more flights, restaurants and services, and those make RAK a better place to live as well as to visit.
Taken together, this week's news shows companies and capital committing to RAK for the long term. Homes are following, with RAK Properties alone planning to finish 691 more by the end of the year, which gives buyers and tenants choice as demand grows. That commitment is what supports property values over time.
Our view, not advice. Past rises may not repeat.
The Week in RAK tells you what changed this week. Our website goes much further. It covers everything you need before you buy or rent in Ras Al Khaimah, in detail: how buying off-plan works and what every step costs, what homes rent for area by area, the schools, visas and moving here, even how to bring your pet. All written by us, from Al Hamra.
Rather talk?
Weighing a development, or looking for a home to rent? Use the WhatsApp button to tell us what you need. We reply within the hour, 8am to 10pm UAE time.
Not on the list yet? Get The Week in RAK by email, every Monday. Sign up at deanproperty.ae/week →
Comments