Made in the UAE: The superyachts built with luxury and sustainability in mind

Gulf Craft's vessels among those on display at Dubai International Boat Show

One of the driving stations on board the superyachts designed by UAE firm Gulf Craft at the Dubai International Boat Show. All photos: Mahmoud Rida / The National

Better fuel efficiency and a focus on recycled materials were in mind during the building process

Another of the drive stations

Luxury is the name of the game on board the superyachts at Dubai International Boat Show

The dining area on board one of the Gulf Craft yachts

One of the en suite bedrooms on board

One of the master bedrooms

The cabins can hold twin beds or be put together to make doubles

The interior of one of the superyachts designed here in the UAE

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.”