Dh1.16bn superyacht with two helipads and 3D cinema for sale at Dubai boat show

The 88.5-metre-long vessel also has six decks and a stage for live performances and it is the largest ever to be showcased in the show's 22-year history.

The Nirvana, a 88.5 metre-long superyacht, which will be on sale at the Dubai International Boat Show from March 4 for Dh1.16bn. Courtesy Edmiston

DUBAI // It one of the largest boats in the world, with two helipads, six decks, a stage for live performances and a 3D cinema.

The Nirvana, a 88.5 metre-long superyacht, will be the centrepiece of the Dubai International Boat Show, which opens next week.

The vessel, one of the largest and most luxurious in the world, will be for sale for Dh1.16 billion, and is the largest ever yacht showcased in the show’s 22-year history.

It is a sign of the popularity of superyachts in the region, said Erwin Bamps, chief operating officer of Gulf Craft, an Ajman-based manufacturer.

“Even though there was a financial crisis, the superyacht sector has always been strong in this region,” he said.

“Because people who had money before the crisis, had money during the crisis and still have money today. The high-net-worth individuals have continued to spend over the past five years, and have not stopped.

“That’s why the focus of the show over the most recent period, has always been on superyachts. What changes this year is that the other end of the market, the small and medium yachts, is beginning to come back strongly.”

A superyacht is defined as any yacht more than 24m in length. Gulf Craft, itself one of the top 10 superyacht manufacturers in the world, will display “three or four” superyachts this year, including one, unsold, 41.1m boat.

The yet-to-be-named vessel will be sold for about Dh222 million.

Some 430 boats, including 19 superyachts will be displayed at the show, which runs from March 4 to March 8 at Dubai International Marine Club.

According to research from ART Marine, the UAE currently has 30 marinas and 4,816 berths. Across the region, there are 64 marinas and 12,629 berths, with the UAE accounting for 38 per cent of the entire GCC marina-berthing market.

“Dubai is set to become the world’s leisure maritime capital, thanks to modern marina facilities, strong maritime tourism infrastructure and increasingly knowledgeable boat-buying customers,” said Saeed Hareb, the vice president of Dubai International Marine Club and a senior adviser to the boat show.

“Dubai cementing its status as a hub for mega-events is making a major impact on the leisure-maritime market, with millions of visitors wanting to experience the UAE from the water.”

The show will feature a 22 per cent growth in exhibitors, compared to last year. In addition, there will be 42 announcements of new projects, compared to 30 in 2013.

Among the new announcements will be the world’s fastest and largest aluminium yacht, the SILVER-FAST 77m, which is currently under construction by UAE-based BehneMar Yachting Consultancy.