25% growth in demand for boats and yachts during the current year

Emirati companies working in the manufacture of yachts, regular boats, and luxury boats reported that they are exporting their production to the global market, and have become a major player in the global maritime industry, indicating an increase in demand for boats, yachts, and luxury yachts, at rates of up to 25% during the current year, compared to last year.

She revealed in exclusive statements to Emirates Today, on the sidelines of the seventh edition of the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show, which ends today, that the boats and ships it manufactures are characterized by being 100% Emirati designs, and were implemented by Emirati hands, and artificial intelligence was introduced into the design of yachts.

11 thousand yachts

In detail, Arwin Bumps, CEO of Gulf Craft Group, which manufactures boats, yachts and luxury yachts, said: “The Emirati group has manufactured more than 11,000 yachts and boats since its founding in 1982, and delivered them to local, regional and international customers.”

He explained that the group introduced eight new models to the global market during the current year, and also established a new center for luxury yacht services, explaining that the company does not focus only on the local market, but also exports to several regional and global markets, and has become a major player in the global maritime industry, and has also developed from building recreational boats and fishing boats to manufacturing luxury boats and giant yachts.

Bumps noted that “the company focuses in all its products on adhering to the rules of sustainability, innovation, recycling, and working to reduce fuel consumption,” noting that the company announced earlier this year that it would accept payment in cryptocurrencies, which led to the entry of new customers into the market.

He pointed out that the company employs 1,600 employees directly, and thousands indirectly within the country, which supports the UAE economy and the UAE’s position as a regional tourism center.

New strategy

The Director of Strategy and Business Development at Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding Company, Abdul Rahman Al-Rusi, said, “The company recently adopted a new strategy, which stipulates expanding the scope of building and manufacturing civilian ships and boats, to be used for transporting passengers, entertainment, and leisure, in addition to the manufacture of military ships,” noting that the strategy also includes expanding the uses of the pieces themselves, so that they are used civilly, militaryly, and medically at the same time in the water.

He explained that the company is launching new marine products during the exhibition that will be displayed for the first time, including civil marine medical pieces, including the marine ambulance and the floating marine hospital, noting that the company exports its production to the Gulf countries, along with other countries such as Indonesia and Angola.

Al-Rusi noted that the boats and ships manufactured by the company are characterized by being 100% Emirati designs, and were implemented by Emirati hands, in addition to the high quality due to its long experience in military manufacturing. The company also builds ships and boats according to special designs requested by customers, indicating that the technical engineering office in the company focuses on reducing the use of fuel and reducing the use of carbon.

He pointed out that the company may consider paying in cryptocurrencies in the future, if necessary, pointing out that there are companies in the country that have already begun using Bitcoin in payment operations in the field of ships.

The spokesman for the Emirati company Alpha Boats, Ahmed Rashid Al Junaibi, said: “There is a growing demand for yachts at a rate of more than 15% during the current year, compared to last year,” explaining that the demand increases in some seasons coinciding with the organization of fishing and kingfishing races, and the improvement of the weather, and includes high demand for large and small yachts alike, as well as luxury and sports yachts.

He pointed out that the Emirati company introduced artificial intelligence into boat design processes, and manual processes were greatly reduced, noting that the boats it presents at the exhibition are characterized by light weight compared to their size, which helps to increase fuel efficiency, and it has also begun exporting abroad.

The marketing director of an Emirati yacht and boat company (H.F.), who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “Over the past two years, the market has witnessed a growth in demand for boats and yachts, at rates of up to 25%,” anticipating a continued rise in demand for luxury yachts and boats during the coming years. He pointed out that the company exports its production to some Arab and foreign countries, and that export contracts are increasing year after year.

---

Development of marine tourism

Sarah Amir, head of the marketing department at Nirvana Yachts and Boats, said, “The company’s participation comes in support of the country’s strategy to develop marine tourism and enhance Abu Dhabi’s role as a global destination for luxury sailing,” noting that the future of marine hospitality is based on three main pillars: luxury, technological innovation, and sustainability, in order to build a high-level maritime sector.

She explained that the company includes a luxury yacht club, which includes 42 models for the years 2024 and 2025, and the company is displaying in its pavilion at the exhibition boats that are displayed for the first time in the Emirates, including a 100% green electric yacht, which is distinguished by taking into account the rules of sustainability and smoothness on the water, and its great speed, noting that there is a continuous increase in demand for yachts, especially since Abu Dhabi includes 400 kilometers of islands and water, and many families prefer it as the weather improves. Weekend vacation on floating yachts.

---

31% of the exhibiting companies are Emirati

The official spokesman for the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show – ADNEC Group, Ahmed Fakhro, told Emirates Today, “The exhibition witnesses the participation of more than 1,000 companies and brands, with a growth rate of 14% compared to last year, on an area of ​​​​more than 85 thousand square meters,” noting that the percentage of national companies exhibiting reaches 31% of the total exhibiting companies. He noted that the exhibition is witnessing new activities being held for the first time in the Emirates and the Gulf, most notably the establishment of a boat rental exhibition on the sidelines of the exhibition, where boats can be rented for sea trips through the exhibition, in addition to the establishment of a luxury yacht lounge, due to the presence of a large demand for it, especially from foreign companies.