Published: December 20, 2021
International Superyacht Summit 2021
International Superyacht Summit 2021 Revolved Around the Prospects of UAE’s Leisure Marine Market
Initiated by DP World’s subsidiary P&O Marinas and co-organised by Fabulous Yachts, the International Superyacht Summit 2021 was held on the 8th and 9th December at the iconic Queen Elizabeth 2, at Mina Rashid. The emphasis of the Summit was on the competitiveness of the UAE’s and the GCC’s leisure marine industry and its bright prospects.
Industry experts, superyacht builders and management companies, superyacht owners and captains attended the event, and the discussions revolved around the future of the leisure yachting industry. The objective was to capitalise on the potential of Dubai and the UAE in the global superyacht sector.
The superyacht summit 2021 was sponsored by local and international top players such as Abu Dhabi Maritime, Abu Dhabi Ports Group, Royal Yachts, Adriatic 42, MB92, Al Seer Marine, Ferretti Group, Lurssen, Oceanco, Damen, Camper and Nicholsons, Burgess and many others. In addition, the other key stakeholders like Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Maritime City Authority were also part of the panel. This approach was indicative of how the industry is united and enthusiastic about collaborating with every single industry talent and expertise to drive growth within the sector.
Top executives and industry elites who participated in the event included Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing; Ali Al Shaiba, Executive Director at Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism; Captain Saif Al Mheiri, Managing Director at Abu Dhabi Maritime and Abeer Alshaali, Deputy Managing Director at Gulf Craft, among others, who enlightened attendees and offered vital insights into the industry.
Speakers highlighted various subjects, including the 2030 superyacht vision, through a series of speeches and panel discussions. The discussion also focussed on building the perfect superyacht destination, optimal superyacht business landscape in the Gulf, setting a sustainable superyacht agenda for the Gulf and other topics.
Mohamed Al Zaabi, Founder and CEO of Royal Yachts was among the most esteemed delegates and speakers from the industry. Royal Yachts was one of the known Gold Sponsors of the event.
Hamza Mustafa, Chief Operating Officer, P&O Marinas, said: “It was an incredible two-day event with some intensive discussions around key topics concerning the superyacht and marine leisure tourism sectors combined. Dubai already holds an exceptional place in the marine leisure tourism industry, with large numbers of tourists arriving via cruise tourism and others availing of the extensive amenities offered by the city’s world-class marinas. We hope discussions from the Summit will be strategic and instrumental in boosting yachting tourism while also transforming the superyacht business landscape, making it modern, competitive and high-quality for both visitors and investors.”
UAE is rapidly transforming into a new superyacht destination. It has an ideal environment and layout for a flourishing leisure tourism industry. And, with long stretches of beautiful coastline, dedicated support system, suitable spaces, favourable setup and state-of-the-art facilities, Dubai leads this GCC’s leisure marine market.
Capt. Tony Crabbe, CEO of Fabulous Yachts, said: “The UAE and the Middle East have sophisticated infrastructure and the capacity to welcome yachts of all shapes and sizes. People around the world are already acknowledging this. Events such as the International Superyacht Summit will add to the growing global interest in the region’s superyacht industry. We are hoping to see rapid growth in this sector over the next couple of years.”
The Summit also organised a strategic workshop, ‘Superyachts 2030 – A Superyacht Strategy for the UAE’, collaborating with P&O Marinas and The Superyacht Group. It is a VIP focus group to prepare a concrete action plan and definite objectives to create excellent conditions for superyachts to operate and cruise in the Gulf region successfully. The primary goal of the Summit was to ensure that all key local stakeholders will remain committed throughout the year to implement the strategy and bolster the position of Dubai and the UAE in the global superyacht industry.
The Summit ended with an announcement by P&O Marinas to host the exceptional SailGP Season 3 at Mina Rashid Marina in November 2022.
