Ras Al Khaimah welcomed more than 670,000 visitors in the first half of 2026—the emirate’s strongest first-half result on record. Domestic arrivals rose 47% year on year, May became its best individual month, and average daily hotel rates held in line with 2025 despite regional disruption to international travel.
The headline is only part of the story. Two hotels are scheduled to open before the end of 2026, Wynn Al Marjan Island remains on track for 2027, transport projects are moving from pilot to planned operation, and an astronaut-training programme is targeted for the second half of this year.
This tracker separates results that have already happened from projects that are announced or under construction. It was checked against the latest RAK Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) release on 29 July 2026.
RAK tourism figures: 2026 versus 2025
| Metric | Latest official figure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| H1 2026 visitors | More than 670,000 | Highest first-half total on record |
| H1 2026 domestic arrivals | Up 47% year on year | Domestic demand offset disruption to international travel |
| H1 2026 average daily rate | In line with 2025 | RAKTDA did not report a rate decline in the release |
| RAK Moments campaign, Q2 2026 | 224,000 room nights; AED 104.4m room revenue; 127,817 incremental visitors | RAKTDA attributes a 67.1% year-on-year increase to the campaign |
| Full-year 2025 overnight visitors | 1.35 million, up 6% | Annual benchmark, with tourism revenue up 12% |
| 2030 ambition | More than 3.5 million annual visitors | A target, not a forecast or achieved total |
One distinction matters: RAKTDA describes the H1 2026 figure as “visitors” and the 2025 result as “overnight visitors”. It does not provide a like-for-like percentage change between those two totals in the latest release. Doubling 670,000 to estimate a full-year result would also ignore seasonality, so this article does not do that.
The official 2025 result remains useful context. The emirate recorded 1.35 million overnight visitors, up 6%, while tourism revenue increased 12%. Domestic arrivals grew 7%, with increases from India (14%), China (19%), the UK (10%) and Russia (20%). Those are completed full-year figures, not estimates for 2026.
What is opening next in Ras Al Khaimah?
| Project | Current official timing | Status or scale |
|---|---|---|
| Rotana Ras Al Khaimah – The Mangroves | Q3 2026 | 258 keys at Al Qawasim Corniche; ten meeting rooms and a large pillar-free ballroom |
| SAIJ Mountain Lodge by Mantis | Q4 2026 | First mountain lodge on Jebel Jais; development in progress |
| Rixos Al Mairid main building | Renovation due to complete Q4 2026 | Villas, beachfront experiences and selected dining venues remain open |
| Pullman Resort Al Marjan Island | Reopening targeted Q1 2027 | Accommodation and interiors under refurbishment |
| Wynn Al Marjan Island | On track for 2027 | Integrated resort under construction; 1,530 rooms and suites announced |
| RAK Central Square | Q4 2027 target | Five-building Grade A office development; 25% complete in June 2026 |
These are stated targets, not guaranteed opening dates. Construction, fit-out, licensing and operational testing can move a hotel’s first guest date. Anyone planning a trip around one opening should check the property’s own reservation calendar before booking flights.
Al Marjan Island is the centre of the expansion
Al Marjan Island is carrying much of RAK’s next wave of high-end tourism. Wynn Al Marjan Island reached a 70-storey, 283-metre tower milestone and moved into façade and interior work. RAKTDA’s January update described a USD 5.1 billion resort with 1,530 rooms and suites, 22 food-and-beverage venues, a theatre, luxury retail and a marina. Wynn has since confirmed the total cost has climbed to $5.7 billion, with the resort now set to open in September 2027 (Wynn Q2 2026 earnings call, 5 August 2026).
The latest update adds detail to the entertainment plan. Immersive theatre company Punchdrunk is creating its first MENA production for Wynn, with a traditional seated option and a free-roaming experience. A steakhouse by Alain Ducasse and the first international Delilah supper club are among the announced dining concepts.
Monica’s perspective: I’ve closely watched Al Marjan Island’s trajectory and the scale is what stands out. It is being positioned as the next major UAE waterfront destination, not simply another hotel cluster. I am particularly looking forward to seeing how the Alain Ducasse steakhouse, Delilah and Punchdrunk production change the island’s evening economy once Wynn opens.
The wider Marjan Beach masterplan shows why the island story extends beyond one resort. RAKTDA says the 85-million-square-foot development will contain eight neighbourhoods, 22,000 residential units and 12,000 hotel keys. Those are masterplan totals, not rooms already operating.
The 2026 hotel pipeline is not all beachfront
Rotana Ras Al Khaimah – The Mangroves is designed to add business events and wedding capacity as well as rooms. Its 258 keys sit alongside ten meeting rooms, an alfresco events space and what RAKTDA calls one of the emirate’s largest pillar-free ballrooms.
SAIJ Mountain Lodge by Mantis takes the opposite approach. Planned as the first mountain lodge on Jebel Jais, its published experiences include organic farming, guided treks, beekeeping, stargazing and wellness rituals. If it opens on the current Q4 schedule, it will give the emirate a new overnight proposition away from the coast.
The refurbishment caveats are important for 2026 visitors. Rixos Al Mairid is not simply “closed”: villas, beachfront experiences and selected restaurants remain available while its main-building rooms and suites are renovated. Pullman Resort Al Marjan Island, by contrast, is targeted to reopen in Q1 2027 after a wider interior and accommodation refresh.
Transport: what is operating and what is still planned?
Driving remains the practical default for most Dubai-to-RAK journeys. The more futuristic transport announcements are targets rather than services a visitor can book today.
- Autonomous shuttles: RAKTA says commercial operation is set to begin later in 2026 following a pilot.
- Air taxis: Skyports planning targets initial operations from 2027, with Al Marjan Island as the first node in a proposed RAK–Dubai network.
- Transit stations: three new stations are planned to link city routes, intercity services and tourism destinations.
- Private aviation: a VVIP terminal with Falcon Executive Aviation is targeted for early 2027.
- Yachts: RAKTA and Dubai Maritime Authority have a cooperation agreement intended to simplify leisure-vessel movement between the emirates.
- Journey planning: RAKTA positions Sayr as the platform for planning, booking and paying across its mobility network.
A project being “targeted” for a date is not the same as regulatory approval, a published timetable or a bookable public service. We will update this page when RAKTA publishes operating details.
Astronaut training: announced, but not yet a finished attraction
Action Flight Aviation and BLINC Space have signed an agreement to introduce an astronaut-training programme from the second half of 2026. The announced activities include G-force training through aerobatic flights, zero-gravity parabolic flights, advanced freefall and parachuting.
That is an unusual tourism proposition, but the careful wording is “planned” or “launching”, not “now open”. RAKTDA has not supplied a public price, booking page or confirmed first-session date in its release. Until those appear, readers should not plan a trip around it.
What the latest numbers really show
The defensible conclusion is not that Ras Al Khaimah has already become another Dubai. It is that the emirate delivered a record first half during a difficult regional travel period, supported by a sharp rise in domestic demand, while major accommodation and transport capacity is still being built.
That timing creates both opportunity and uncertainty. Several of the projects that could change the visitor experience are scheduled for late 2026 or 2027, so current travellers should distinguish what they can book now from what appears in a development pipeline. For stays already operating across the country, see our guide to luxury staycations in the UAE.
Last fully verified: 29 July 2026. Visitor results, project timings and transport launch targets were checked against RAKTDA’s H1 2026 and full-year 2025 releases. First-person analysis is attributed to the author; numerical and status claims are sourced to the authority.
