Boat building and maritime life have been key parts of Emirati culture for generations, with the modern manufacture of luxury yachts the latest iteration of this in the UAE.
Gulf Craft rose from a small, local boat building yard in 1982. Four decades on, the company is taking on international heavy hitters in the luxury yachting market, and bringing its unique, bespoke approach to ship building.
From its 43,000-square metre shipyard in Umm Al Quwain, the company has built more than 10,000 boats, with the most luxury model known as the Rolls-Royce of the seas. At 56 metres, Gulf Craft's flagship Majesty 175 is the world’s largest composite-production megayacht.
What's more, a new 74,000-square metre facility is due to open in the Maldives, complementing its existing 9,300-square metre manufacturing yard in the atolls.
Meticulous production line
More than 300 people will build the Majestic 175 over a three-year period. Costas Eliopoulos, chief process officer at Gulf Craft, said boat building can be broken down into a series of steps on a production line, with forensic attention to detail providing customers with the yacht of their dreams.
“Boat building is still craftsmanship,” said Mr Eliopoulos. “It's like buying traditional shoes. With most expensive shoemakers, you cannot machine them, and they always have to be handmade. Rolls-Royce, is another example: even though a lot of the components are done by machines, as we are also doing, the final touch is always by hand.”
The first stage is to create a mould for the model of yacht to be built. A cast is dropped into water and then laminated with layers of fibreglass to form decks and the ship’s hull. Once the yacht is released from its mould, it is moved to a production line where most of the work begins.
Inside the giant air-conditioned warehouse are several yachts side by side, bow to stern. Each has its own production team of engineers and craftsmen who work together to build the finished product over months, and sometimes years.
Joiners and carpenters put together the woodwork and interior panels of each yacht once the metalwork – including the piping and tanks – is completed. Once the frame, figures and fittings are in place, electrical components are installed in modular stages after being tested. It is then these yachts are moved outside for the first time to begin trials on water.
Sea testing
The sea trials include a detailed check for faults, with interaction from the buyer and their prospective crew, to check for any last-minute adjustments or customisation. “It is then we'll do the handover sea trial according to the specification,” said Mr Eliopoulos.
“The vessel is tested, validated by the customer and signed off. Training is done for the crew, so they know how to operate it, and then we have a dispatch. Initially, the curve is low of the manpower demand you have. Then gradually, as you go into the assembly line, it becomes a huge effort and a lot of man hours, and a ramp-up in that curve. For a smaller vessel we may have 6 to 12 people, and then on a larger vessel, it can be over 300.”
The Majesty 175 has a range of around 4,420 nautical miles or around 8,185km. It has seven state rooms across four decks, an owners’ suite on the upper level, a private swimming pool and an outdoor lounge. There is also a saloon, dining area and several decks for al fresco entertaining.
Taste of luxury
The UAQ shipyard also produces long-range Nomad Yachts, the luxury catamaran SilverCat and smaller Oryx Cruisers, monohull vessels designed for those with a lighter budget who still want to enjoy a taste of luxury at sea.
Mohammed Hussein Alshaali, chairman of Gulf Craft, said new buyers want to spend more time at sea, and want more space and specifications as a result. “The main change in the international yachting industry is where, before it was only in Europe and the US, now it's all over the world,” Mr Alshaali told The National.
“What is changing is the way people use their boats, and the way they are designed. Now they are more related to lifestyle rather than just used to go fast from one place to another. People are now enjoying them, so we have more space inside and outside the boat – people are living on the yachts.”
Costs range from $2 million per vessel to $40 million, with an average of about 200 boats manufactured each year at the UAE yard, 30 of them luxury superyachts. Gulf Craft sells vessels in Europe, the US, Australia and South-east Asia.
The global yacht market is experiencing robust growth. A report from Emergen Research estimates it will reach $21.16 billion by 2032 – up from $11.2 billion in 2022.
“The Emirati people are linked to the sea – we are a nation of seafarers,” said Mr Alshaali. “In the Emirates, we have two communities: those who live in the shores and beaches, and those who are seafarers, traders, fishermen and pearl divers. We are all related to the water, one way or another. But it's a fierce market, so it takes time, hard work and quality to prove yourself.”
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
BELGIUM%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20Thibaut%20Courtois%2C%20Simon%20Mignolet%2C%20Koen%20Casteels%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDefenders%3A%20Jan%20Vertonghen%2C%20Toby%20Alderweireld%2C%20Leander%20Dendoncker%2C%20Zeno%20Debast%2C%20Arthur%20Theate%2C%20Wout%20Faes%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMidfielders%3A%20Hans%20Vanaken%2C%20Axel%20Witsel%2C%20Youri%20Tielemans%2C%20Amadou%20Onana%2C%20Kevin%20De%20Bruyne%2C%20Yannick%20Carrasco%2C%20Thorgan%20Hazard%2C%20Timothy%20Castagne%2C%20Thomas%20Meunier%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EForwards%3A%20Romelu%20Lukaku%2C%20Michy%20Batshuayi%2C%20Lo%C3%AFs%20Openda%2C%20Charles%20De%20Ketelaere%2C%20Eden%20Hazard%2C%20Jeremy%20Doku%2C%20Dries%20Mertens%2C%20Leandro%20Trossard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 100 ) US$175,000 1,200m
Winner: Baccarat, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (78-94) $60,000 1,800m
Winner: Baroot, Christophe Soumillon, Mike de Kock
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 $200,000 1,600m
Winner: Heavy Metal, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.15pm: Handicap (95-108) $125,000 1,200m
Winner: Yalta, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 $200,000 1,800m
Winner: Promising Run, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,400m
Winner: Oh This Is Us, Tom Marquand, Richard Hannon
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
TOURNAMENT INFO
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Thursday results
UAE beat Kuwait by 86 runs
Qatar beat Bahrain by five wickets
Saudi Arabia beat Maldives by 35 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, third-place playoff – Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
3pm, final – UAE v Qatar
