Saudi Arabia: A New Yachting Hotspot?

Words by Georgia Tindale

Scoping out Saudi

When asked to imagine yachting hotspots, there are certain places that spring to mind. The Mediterranean in the summer, the Caribbean for winter cruising, and, in recent years, more remote destinations such as Fiji and the Maldives have also experienced a surge in popularity.

One country which may be a slightly unexpected inclusion on the list is Saudi Arabia. Looking at recent statistics courtesy of SuperYacht Times , there have been 28 motor yacht sales from 49.8 metres in size with a Saudi-buying owner from 2011 to the present day. Ranking in ninth place for superyacht ownership worldwide for vessels over 40 metres, it is notable that Saudi owners have, on average, the largest yachts of the top 12 superyacht-owning countries, with a Saudi owner’s vessel measuring in at an impressive 68 metres and boasting a gross tonnage of 1,856

Crafting the Kingdom

Clearly then, Saudis are buying yachts. But what about the Kingdom itself as a tourist destination?

This is not the first time the question has been asked. In the halcyon pre-pandemic days of 2019, Robb Report hosted the exclusive Red Sea Event on a luxury resort on a former Egyptian outpost in the Red Sea, which welcomed 400 invitation-only guests from 38 countries, including owners of 65 of the world’s largest superyachts.

The last few years have also seen an increase in investment by the Kingdom in initiatives including the luxury eco-tourism resort, the Red Sea Project, which forms part of the broader Saudi Vision 2030 Project – funded by the state-owned Public Investment Fund – which aims to diversify the Kingdom’s economy away from oil.??

The Red Sea Project is on track to open its first hotels and international airport by the close of 2022 and is expected to welcome one million yearly visitors by 2035. Other giga-projects in the area include the luxury wellness resort AMAALA ”.

The industry takes notice.

The burgeoning of the Kingdom as a yachting hotspot has not gone unnoticed. For Heesen Yachts, who sold the 49.8-metre all-aluminium Rocket to a Saudi in 2017 and delivered the 60-metre Lusine to the region at the close of 2021, the Kingdom has clear growth potential.

As Heesen’s Chief Commercial Officer Friso Visser explains: “The Middle East is picking up in terms of enquiries. Clients from this region like to have fast-going aluminium yachts and Heesen is a dominant player in this field.”

He continues: “We also have a very interesting programme for speculative construction, with our semi-custom approach potentially very appealing for Middle Eastern clients, as they can have quite radical design requirements and benefit from our proven design platform.”

Furthermore, many key players across the industry are playing an active role in Kingdom’s development. Florence-based designer LUCA DINI Design & Architecture , who is involved with bringing Vision 2030 to life by designing marinas, resorts and more, comments: “This is an amazing project. They are basically creating a new country by harnessing the latest technologies around sustainability and durability. It truly is pushing the boundaries of architecture.”

Indeed, when weighing the potential of the Kingdom as a future superyacht hotspot, we can give Dini the final word: “As a winter destination, it is a perfect alternative to the Caribbean. Take a flight from London, and before you know it, you are on your yacht looking at coral reefs that are over 1000 years old. It is an untapped paradise.”?

Quickfire Q&A with Othman Al-Omeir

Here, we catch up with the Saudi-born, and London-based journalist and editor, Othman Al-Omeir, former owner of the 31-metre Heesen yacht Ammoun of London (sold earlier this year by International Yacht Register - IYR ?).

How did Saudi Arabia cope with COVID?

They have coped really well and have not needed to stop travel. To be honest, they did more than many other countries, both in terms of the support given to people and the level of restrictions.

Tell me about the name of your boat.

I found ‘ammoun’ in an Arabic dictionary, and it means ‘camel’, so her name means ‘Camel of London’!

You bought your former vessel, Ammoun of London in 2000. Are you thinking of upsizing for your next vessel?

Not at the moment, although I am considering getting a luxury barge. I love being on the sea: I love being in that environment and exploring. Of course, it would need to be built really nicely, and I would be looking at a vessel around 37 metres.

Finally, given all the upcoming developments in the Kingdom, is it somewhere you would consider visiting via yacht in the future?

es. Saudi Arabia is a really good destination from which to enjoy your yacht, especially as people are trying to avoid busy destinations because of COVID.

Saudi has been a stable country for the last 50 years, but at the same time, the government is changing, the history is changing, and it is opening up to the world. Over the last 5-6 years, they have invested much more in education, and the Kingdom has around seven million foreigners working there. Plus, you don’t need a chaperone to visit either, you can just get a visa and fly in: it’s pretty easy.