Month: February 2025

• Dubai International Boat Show draws to a close with a host of sales and negotiations 
• Notable sales were highlighted by top yacht-builders including Sunreef, SanLorenzo and Gulf Craft while the new-for-2025 brokerage section also enjoyed success

Dubai International Boat Show, the global luxury yacht and lifestyle show has drawn to a close following an impressive five-days of maritime sales, crucial discussions, knowledge sharing and partnership developments making a significant impact on the yachting industry. 

With visitors and exhibitors drawn in from more 60 countries, DIBS, which just concluded its 31^st edition, demonstrates why Dubai is one of the most desirable destinations for nautical leisure tourism and business. The show underpins an already booming sector in the city, providing a valuable platform for the community to present first-class yacht craftmanship, brokering services, real estate developments, the latest in seafaring technology and much more. 

Demonstrating DIBS’ positioning as major player in connecting luxury yacht businesses with the ultra-wealthy, notable sales were conducted by Sunreef who presented a first look at the interiors of its luxury vessel and 36.25m ultramodern catamaran, ULTIMA 111 following its recent debut. Sunreef sold five of its fleet including the ULTIMA 55 and Sunreef 60.  Artur Poloczanski, Public Relations Director at Sunreef Yachts, said: “We’re very happy with the DIBS showcase this year and the sales we have concluded. We used this event to present the ULTIMA 55 which is our first UAE built yacht, it was a very emotional moment for us – it was a new model and new challenge for us all at the business but we received great feedback from others in the industry as well as visitors, providing us with positivity to keep building here in the UAE.”

SanLorenzo, Italian shipbuilders with more than 60 years’ experience in the industry acknowledged the importance of attending Dubai International Boat Show to forge lasting relationships with people from across the sector including new and existing customers. Gabriele Stella, Head of Sales at SanLorenzo said: “Sales have been great, the Dubai International Boat show has been a great success, with good quality buyers and prospects. Alongside the sales, we have several negotiations on the table which we expect to sign contracts for in the coming weeks with mainly Dubai based customers.”

Elsewhere, UAE based yacht manufacturers Gulf Craft who have been participating in DIBS since its inception 31 years ago and had unveiled a series of global and regional launches at the event sold three yachts. The brand showcased a collection of its award-winning line of Majesty Yachts and Nomad Yachts, with Mohammed Al Shaali, Chairman of Gulf Craft highlighting participation and sales: “Gulf Craft has been a defining presence at the Dubai International Boat Show for over 30 years, driven by innovation, craftsmanship, and a commitment to excellence. This year, we showcased 18 vessels, including eight global debuts, reaffirming our role in shaping the future of yacht design. A highlight was the sale of the inaugural Majesty 145, reflecting strong market demand for our forward-thinking superyacht concepts. We also unveiled our Superyacht Service Centre in Ajman, a cutting-edge facility capable of servicing yachts up to 600 tons, strengthening Dubai’s position as a superyacht hub. Our commitment to the maritime industry continues with new initiatives designed to nurture the next generation of yacht innovators.”

As a first for the 2025 edition of DIBS, a dedicated brokerage area on the harbour housed a number of leading luxury yacht brokerages including Bush & Noble, BehneMar and Burgess. Anastazja Kociokowska, Business Development & ESG Manager at Burgess discussed the firm’s participation this year as well as the success of the event for them as a business: “We’ve had a presence at the show for several years and this edition has been brilliant – each year it gets bigger and better. As a market-leading full-service superyacht provider, ranging from sale & purchase, charter, management as well as new build, procurement and crew services, we’ve enjoyed great conversations at the show which we’re sure will develop into some great business. We’re already making our plans for next year and the brokerage section has been a great addition – we’ve enjoyed being positioned in the marina within the show.”

A popular topic of discussion on the show is how leading yacht builders and manufacturers are now introducing the use of AI to expand their offerings at sea with the vertical potentially shaping the future of the industry. Farouk Nefzi – Chief Marketing Officer at Feadship, the royal Dutch shipyard said: “We are in the first stages of AI reaching our platforms. At this stage it is more of a design exercise and more related to creating visuals – it has an impact on the shop window part of the business. The real build process is the next step – we don’t know how that will look exactly but it is exciting.”

The 32^nd edition of Dubai International Boat Show will take place at Dubai Harbour in April 2025 from 8-12, further details will be announced in due course.