Navigate this brief report as we share key statistics and figures of the UAE's yachting market.
The yachting sector in the UAE continues to enjoy a remarkable growth in both locally registered boats and also foreign flagged yachts visiting the country. In this feature, we will be addressing these two main points in a brief scope. Before going into the numbers and data that we can share at this level, it’s important to note how it is recorded and verified. Locally registered boats are the number of boats registered and holding Dubai registration, which range from the smallest craft up to the largest superyacht. This number includes both private and charter yachts. We will only focus on Dubai as we are still collecting the data for Abu Dhabi, so we will dedicate another piece for that. Visiting yachts in this calculation are foreign flagged yachts that have visited the UAE (all the 7 Emirates) between the period of October 2023 and June 2024. Visiting yachts start at 28 meters and include both yachts that have been shipped or sailed under their own power. We do not add foreign flagged yachts that are based in the UAE or that have been in the UAE for more than a season (6-month period).
With an impressive 7,084 boats registered in Dubai alone for the year 2023 according to PCFC, the number is an increase from 7,000 registered crafts during the year 2022, meaning an growth of 1.2%. This accounts for crafts that have been registered in Dubai, both foreign and locally built. Though we are short of data showing the exported, cancelled, and change of ownerships within the 7,084 crafts, the addition of 84 new yachts and boats to Dubai is a testament to the continuous interest in water sport activities. The majority of this figure belongs to vessels below the 20-meter mark, as owners of larger yachts opt to foreign flag their vessels.
A bit of background here before delving into the data. This information is collected per season, specifically from October 2023 to June 2024. We only look at yachts over 28 meters that have been shipped or sailed under their own power to be used in the UAE. This information is exclusively collected by IR Yachts using both AIS (Automatic Identification System) data as well as visual observation as many yachts have their AIS switched off when sailing.
An astounding 64 yachts have visited the UAE over the past season, making it the highest ever recorded number of yachts to visit the country. The number would’ve easily risen to 70+ if it wasn’t for the complications in the Red Sea. The most notable superyachts that made an appearance in the UAE include the 141m Nord, 141m YAS, 146m Opera, 160m Blue, and 136m Flying Fox.
In comparison with the previous season, the current 2023/2024 season witnessed more yachts visiting the region, increasing the total number of yachts visiting by 12.28%. While the average yacht length dropped by a fractional 0.53% from the previous season, the total length of superyachts increased by 11.69% to a total length of 3,825 meters, meaning larger yachts visited the UAE.
This growth is a clear reflection of the UAE's strategic efforts to position itself as a hub for yachting enthusiasts and industry professionals alike. The government's continued focus on marketing and promoting the yachting sector has undoubtedly played a crucial role in attracting both domestic and international attention.
With profound expertise in the Gulf regional market, IR Yachts excels as a yachting consultancy firm offering sophisticated strategic marketing and business development services to government entities, international shipyards, brokerage firms, and yachting individuals aiming to access this market.
