Lifestyle / Maritime
Gale force
The Dubai International Boat Show which took place last month highlighted the resilience of an industry that fought its way through a difficult two-year period to come out stronger than ever on the other side BY VARUN GODINHO
T
o understand the sheer standing of the Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS) on a global stage, you need only have had to take a short stroll along the Superyacht Avenue at the 28th edition of the show. Held at Dubai Harbour last month, within a few paces you’d walk past creations from some of the world’s largest yacht builders including Sanlorenzo, Ferretti, Gulf Craft, Azimut, Princess Yachts, Lürssen, Oceanco and Benetti, among many others. The five-day show organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from March 9-13, had a new base at Dubai Harbour this year — a significant upgrade considering that the location has 700 berths and, more importantly, can host vessels up to 160 metres in length. According to data shared by DIBS, the MENA region is home to 12.6 per cent of the global superyachts, the world’s secondhighest fleet-to-billionaire ratio. “DIBS is an 64
A pril 2022
important gateway to a region that not only has a population with significant purchasing power and appetite for large yachts, but is also seeing some of the most ambitious and exciting coastal development projects in the world. Visitors from countries like Saudi Arabia and the Maldives are an important part of the DIBS visitor profile for Triton,” says Craig Barnett, director of sales and marketing Triton Submarines. At the show, it launched a new collaboration with Shadowcat for a compact launch and recovery vessel packaged with a Triton 3300/3 MKII submersible. Amplifying Barnett’s thoughts about the show is Mohammed Hussein Alshaali, chairman of Gulf Craft, UAE’s homegrown yacht manufacturer. The show witnessed the firm kicking off its 40th-anniversary celebrations that saw the launch of the Nomad 70 SUV and the Silvercat 40cc. It also announced the Majesty 111 concept, while its Majesty 120 made its show debut too. Gulf Craft was among the largest
Mohammed Hussein Alshaali, chairman of Gulf Craft
exhibitors at the show with 14 vessels on display from its Majesty Yachts, Nomad, Oryx Sports Cruiser, and Silvercraft brands. “The Dubai International Boat Show is today recognised as one of the three most influential yacht shows in the world,” says Alshaali. “It is our ‘home show’ which we have been a long-standing supporter of since its very first edition in 1992. It is an important event, not only for us as a brand but also for the global yachting industry as a whole. It puts a spotlight on the UAE showcasing not only what the country offers in terms of marine lifestyle, but also the government’s efforts to position Dubai as a global yachting tourism destination.” Significantly, Dubai’s maritime sector is reported to account for Dhs26.9bn of the emirate’s GDP. With a total of 34 launches and exhibitors from 54 countries at DIBS 2022, it featured gulfbusiness.com
