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The Cultural Impact of Yachting in the UAE: Part Two
With an ever-expanding yacht market and the Dubai Boat Show just around the corner, we are joined by Westport, Oceanco and Heesen for an added insight into the ever evolving landscape of yachting culture in the UAE.
The United Arab Emirates is a region synonymous with the ownership and pleasure of superyachts, a region that now with the Dubai International Boat Show in 2017 has proved itself to be constantly evolving and consistently exciting.
Wesport share’s their experience with catering to a UAE clientele; ““We know that there’s activity there. It’s been proven, we’ve sold boats in the region and we’ve have a client seriously looking at his next Westport. We have attended other shows in that region, but realised Dubai is the Middle East's Monaco. This is our 11th Dubai show. Our products work there. The way it’s engineered, they don’t sweat and the air-con works. The first Westport 130 was delivered to the region in 2007 and looks fantastic.
The UAE’s cultural engagement with the yachting world is further reinstated this week by Oceanco who reflect on how integral the Middle East remains as a market ahead of DIBS 2017; “The UAE and indeed the Middle East is an important and ever expanding yachting market for Oceanco. Not only is our Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Al Barwani from Oman, but also Oceanco has had friends and clients from the area since our early days. Furthermore, many yachts in our Oceanco fleet visit the region. Dubai has become a hub of yachting activity in the region.”
Heesen Yachts adds to this dialogue, expanding on just how important the Emirates region remains for their shipyard “The Emirates region is historically very important for our shipyard, we sold a number of yachts in the past, including the famous Red Sapphire. In 1999 the newly launched 38-metre Red Sapphire toppled Obsession from her throne and also exceeded her speed with a 34-knot performance. That was quite something at the time!”
Approaching the Dubai International Boat Show, we look forward to bringing you more insight into the culture, the future of Dubai and the UAE as the luxurious epicentre of superyachting as news breaks from the show.