Superyachts built right here in the UAE took pride of place at this year's Dubai International Boat Show.
The National was given a tour of the Majesty 111 and Nomad 101 superyachts, which were built by Gulf Craft in their Umm Al Quwain shipyard.
Officials said the Nomad 101 was made with the environment in mind — boasting better fuel efficiency and a focus on recycled materials to build it.
“This is like our SUV brand, it’s where the action is when you want to focus on long cruising,” said Capt Patricia Caswell, whose job is to pilot the superyachts once they come out of the Gulf Craft shipyard, before they are sold on.
“They’re like floating holiday homes. The Nomad series is designed to be a bit more rugged.
“This particular boat [Nomad 101] will actually travel to Australia. It depends on the owners but they can cruise worldwide.”
Priced on application
Gulf Craft was tight-lipped on how much the superyachts would cost, revealing only that the 101 model we were standing on had already been sold.
The 101’s name was inspired by the yacht’s not insignificant length of 101 feet.
“You can carry up to 12 guests on board, technically you can carry more but then it becomes a passenger ship by regulation,” said Capt Caswell.
“The ships are built to host 12 guests and a crew of six.”
The Nomad 101 comes with a five-cabin layout and also has three crew berths, as well as a captain’s cabin.
The yacht features a VIP guestroom, as well as three twin-guest cabins and the main cabin.
All cabins on board feature en suite bathrooms.
The upper deck of the vessel spans 35 sq metres of exterior, in addition to the 16 sq m of interior lounge space.
“We can keep the cabins as twins or we can slide them [the beds] together to make doubles,” said Capt Caswell.
“When you are chartering a boat, it’s good to have that flexibility so you change depending on who comes on board.”
As you would no doubt expect, the superyacht comes equipped with storage space for jet skis.
The boat also has three drive stations, allowing the captain to choose from where to pilot the vessel.
“What makes these boats unique is everything on board here is made in the UAE,” she said.
“We’re very proud we are building these yachts in our factories and shipping them internationally. They are built to travel worldwide.”
Let there be light
The National were also shown around the Majesty 111 superyacht, which is one foot longer than its berth mate at the boat show.
“Active outdoor types would be more interested in the Nomad 101 while this [Majesty 111] would appeal more to those looking for luxury and style,” Capt Caswell said.
The Majesty 111 features a six-cabin layout, five lower-deck guest cabins and a 15 sq m forward VIP cabin.
The interior is also notable for the amount of light it holds, down to the glazing, the volume of which is said to be 40 per cent more than usual for a similar-sized boat.
It also comes with an upper-deck swimming pool, which has a glass bottom. Positioned above the master bedroom it serves as a watery skylight with a privacy screen that can be drawn across.
The boat is also designed with sustainability in mind with the focus on using the least possible amount of fuel, while at top cruising speeds.
Gulf Craft’s main shipyard is based in Umm Al Quwain but the company also has a plant in the Maldives.
It has built more than 10,000 boats since being founded in 1982. The company makes a wide range of vessels from luxury superyachts to fishing boats.
Another aspect, that should come as no surprise, is that would-be buyers can customise the superyachts to their specification.
The Majesty 111 is even built to be handicap accessible with extra wide passages and room to install a lift down the centre of the yacht.
“We like to spend time with our clients to see what they like and how they want to live,” said Capt Caswell.
“There is the flexibility to change cabin layouts.”
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
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
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Results
UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets
Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey
7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
