From multimillion-dollar super-yachts owned by Indian tycoons to smaller sailing craft, Yas Marina is becoming a more popular option for those looking for a place to moor their boats.
Cut-price berths are helping to drive more yachts to Yas Marina, with the facility reporting that it has doubled its occupancy in the past six months.
At the end of last year, the marina, which is located alongside the track used for the Formula One race in the capital, slashed its rates in an effort to stimulate demand.
"For the last two months, we have signed 10 annual contracts a month," said Cedric Le Rest, the general manager of Yas Marina. "The fact that we dropped our rates is one of the main selling points."
The marina previously charged annual rates starting from Dh68,850 (US$18,744) for a 15 metre berth. But now its prices for a year start from Dh16,455 for an 8 metre boat, inclusive of a berth for the Formula One Grand Prix. Prices go up to Dh491,400 for a space that can accommodate a 120 metre yacht.
But the marina is still a considerable way from being full, with Mr Le Rest declining to say how many berths were now occupied.
A positive is that larger yachts are starting to spend the winter season in Abu Dhabi, which is focusing on the yachting sector as part of its tourism strategy.
"This is a good news, in terms of trend, that we're seeing more larger yachts spending the winter within Abu Dhabi," said Mr Le Rest.
One of these is the Indian Empress, a 95 metre yacht complete with a helipad and reported to be owned by the Indian business magnate Vijay Mallya, who is the chairman of Kingfisher Airlines and United Breweries Group.
The yacht sails all over the world, said Bruno Santos, its captain. It normally spends the summer in the Mediterranean and the winter in the Caribbean or India.
But this winter its owner has opted to keep the yacht in Abu Dhabi since the last Formula One Grand Prix in November, with plans to sail the yacht over to the Mediterranean for the summer.
But there is one major drawback to being based in the region, said Mr Santos: piracy in waters at the mouth of the Gulf .
"I receive a report of a pirate attack every day," he said. "As soon as we leave we have to be prepared to be attacked."
The largest vessel moored in Yas Marina is a $25 million yacht that measures 104 metres, owned by Oman's Ministry of Tourism.
Emirates Palace, meanwhile, has offered a third off the original price of its berths.
"A number of people are now seeing that there are different opportunities [for] where to keep their boats," said Toby Haws, the marina manager at Emirates Palace. "My occupancy has increased. We increase on average about one boat a week. There hasn't been a great increase in the amount of vessels entering Abu Dhabi. What it is is people are now seeing that they don't have to stay in their current marinas - that there is choice.
Yas Marina says the cheaper costs of berthing boats in the capital is creating more interest in buying vessels.
"We believe that the drop in prices is stimulating the market to buy boats - especially small boats," said Samer El Adem, the sales manger at Yas Marina.
rbundhun@thenational.ae
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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Rating: 3.5/5
'Lost in Space'
Creators: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Irwin Allen
Stars: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
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RESULTS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
