A Growing Market: Targeting the Middle East at DIBS 2024

The expanding UAE market was a key theme at this year's DIBS, with conversations surrounding the current market prominent amongst exhibitors and attendees alike. Superyachts.com spoke to two diverse companies from the industry who share equal goals of targeting the Middle East: Ankor Software and Bering Yachts. 

Mike Sager and Elliott Cousins are the Co-Founders of Ankor Software: an Australian software company that’s built for charter agencies and retail brokers from around the world to make their roles easier, with the intention of growing the yachting eco-system worldwide. 

The Co-Founders shared the company’s five products for the luxury travel industry, two of which are brand new additions to Ankor Software: the Yacht Availability Calendar, which allows brokers to connect with retail brokers from around the world, and Contracts, which allow charter brokers to build their own contacts, in partnership with Docusign. 

Cousins commented: ‘Every product that we design essentially comes from our clients or charter brokers asking for it. So everything we do is really about making the charter broker’s life easier.’ 

The UAE is an important region for Ankor Software, of which Sager shared: ‘The Middle East and Dubai is a growing region for us. What it means for us is that it is a very under-served region: there’s a huge amount of superyachts here for day charter, a few for term charter, but we’re here to build connections between the Middle East and the rest of the world.’ 

Turkish shipyard Bering Yachts attended DIBS for the very first time, presenting its brand-new model the Bering 165. Alexei Mikhailov, Founder & President of the yard, spoke on this new and unusual design in collaboration with Valentin Design: a crossover vessel that boasts a vast aft deck and a large swimming pool, something which no other Bering features. 

For Bering, the UAE market is highly important, one reason being the location of its shipyard. Mikhailov commented: ‘We’re in very close proximity, our shipyard in Turkey, we’re close to Dubai. It’s very convenient to build with us: they can observe, they can travel, they can come and visit.’

This geographical advantage displays how Bering is the ideal choice for an owner based in the UAE, as they can be heavily involved in the build process, resulting in a yacht perfectly suited to their requirements. This has led to discussions of the shipyard opening a permanent office in the region, something which is not yet in the works, but is a promising future development. 

Mikhailov also spoke about Bering Charter: a brand new aspect of the Turkish yard. This initiative will see Bering Yachts take care of its yachts after they’ve been delivered, allowing for easy boat ownership for clients, suggesting ideas of how to use their unique Bering yachts. 

The importance of the UAE region and its market for these two very different companies highlights its growing nature in the industry, as it offers diverse yet equally beneficial prospects. It is a highly sought-after superyacht destination, making it an industry hub that serves as a bridge between the East and the West: forging connections across and throughout the industry as the market continues to expand. 

To find out more, watch the full interview above.