Dubai under way seen from above and ahead, bow wave and wake on a bright sea
Dubai under way.

Dubai

A hull begun in Germany in the 1990s, left unfinished, then completed in Dubai a decade later; Boat International calls her the royal yacht of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

162 m
Length
Platinum Yachts
Shipyard
2006
Delivered
12,488
Gross tonnage

In short

Dubai is a 162-metre motor yacht that Boat International describes as the royal yacht of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai (Boat International, February 2025). Her steel hull and part of the aluminium superstructure were built at Blohm+Voss in Germany for a different client before work stopped in 1998; Dubai-based Platinum Yachts finished her, and she was delivered in October 2006 (Boat International, YachtBuyer). At completion she was the largest yacht in the world by volume, and she was the third-longest yacht in Boat International's February 2025 ranking of the world's largest yachts (Boat International, Boat International). Winch Design styled her exterior; Boat International's directory lists Winch Design and Nakheel Interiors for the interior, while its feature says the final interior was completed in-house by Platinum Yachts (Boat International, Boat International).

Videos

One tour from YouTube.

Dubai - The 2nd largest private yacht in the worldRussell Magdytch · 22 Apr 2009 · 815,842 viewsWatch on YouTube

Photos

Dubai at anchor in profile, a long white hull with a tall mast, rocky mountains behind
At anchor
Sunken circular lounge with red sofas around two dark tables and a patterned carpet under a domed ceiling
Circular lounge
Large salon with palm-shaped columns, red striped sofas and low dark tables
Salon
Tiled swimming pool and two round spa pools on deck, sea in the background
Pool and spa pools on deck
Spiral staircase with steel balustrades rising through a round atrium
Spiral staircase in the atrium
Round lobby with a starfish mosaic on the floor and a corridor beyond
Lobby
Aerial view of Dubai moored alongside a warehouse quay, the pool and helipad visible on deck
From the air at Port Rashid, Dubai, May 2008
Dining room with round tables laid with white cloths, red chairs and a coffered ceiling
Dining room
Dubai moored at a quay in profile under a clear sky
At Port Rashid, Dubai, May 2022

Further reading

Independent coverage we found. We link to it rather than rewrite it.

Specifications

Length overall
162 m (531 ft 6 in)
Beam
22 m
Draught
5 m (maximum)
Gross tonnage
12,488 13,470 in a 2009 report
Decks
7
Guests
Up to 48 36 in some listings
Guest cabins
22
Crew
88
Maximum speed
26 knots 25 knots in some listings
Cruising speed
22 knots 20–23 knots in other sources
Range
8,500 nautical miles Quoted at 25 knots by Boat International and Yachts International, at 20 knots by YachtBuyer
Engines
4 × MTU 20V 1163 TB93 diesels
Hull and superstructure
Steel hull, aluminium superstructure, teak decks
Shipyard
Platinum Yachts, Dubai (hull and part of the superstructure built at Blohm+Voss, Hamburg)
Naval architecture
Blohm+Voss, Lürssen
Exterior design
Winch Design
Interior design
Winch Design, Nakheel Interiors Boat International's feature says the interior was completed in-house by Platinum Yachts
Keel laid
15 January 1997
Launched
2006 YachtBuyer gives June 1998
Delivered
26 October 2006
Classification
Lloyd's Register (2009 data)
Flag
United Arab Emirates
Owner
Described by Boat International as the royal yacht of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai (February 2025)
Charter
Not believed to be available

Where is she now

Live AIS position on:

MarineTrafficVesselFinder

IMO 1006324 · MMSI 470886000

Questions

How big is the Dubai yacht?
Dubai is 162 metres (531 ft 6 in) long, with a beam of 22 metres, a maximum draught of 5 metres and a gross tonnage of 12,488 (Boat International, YachtBuyer). She has seven decks (YachtBuyer).
Who built the Dubai yacht?
Two yards. Blohm+Voss in Germany built the steel hull and part of the aluminium superstructure, with Lürssen also involved, before work stopped in 1998 (Boat International, Yachts International). The unfinished vessel was acquired in 2001, and Platinum Yachts, a Dubai World company, completed her in Dubai and delivered her in October 2006 (Yachts International, YachtBuyer, Boat International).
Is Dubai the biggest yacht in the world?
No. She was the largest yacht in the world by volume when she was completed (Boat International). The 180.6-metre Azzam and the 162.5-metre Eclipse are longer, and Dubai is third in Boat International's February 2025 ranking of the world's largest yachts, which counts delivered yachts only; the 194.9-metre REV Ocean was still being completed (Boat International).
What is on board the Dubai yacht?
Boat International lists a helideck, a cinema, a disco and a garage holding a submarine and water toys; the handmade pool tiles are lit by optical fibres (Boat International, 2021). Yachts International describes a pool aft of the main deck whose water runs down a waterfall at the stern, and a clinic with its own ventilation and air-conditioning system (Yachts International, 2009). YachtBuyer gives the pool as 110 tonnes of water and lists a spiral staircase with internally lit glass steps, a gym, a spa and two Pascoe tenders launched from the main deck aft (YachtBuyer).
Who owns the Dubai yacht?
Boat International describes her as the royal yacht of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai (Boat International, February 2025). Her hull was started at Blohm+Voss for a different client before Platinum Yachts completed her in Dubai (Boat International).
Can you charter the Dubai yacht?
No. YachtCharterFleet says she is currently not believed to be available for private charter (YachtCharterFleet). Searches for "Dubai yacht" mostly concern renting smaller yachts in Dubai; this page is about the 162-metre motor yacht.
How many guests and crew does the Dubai yacht carry?
Boat International gives up to 48 guests in 22 cabins and 88 crew (Boat International); YachtBuyer and YachtCharterFleet list 36 guests in the same 22 cabins (YachtBuyer, YachtCharterFleet).
How fast is the Dubai yacht?
Four MTU 20V 1163 TB93 diesels give a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 8,500 nautical miles at 25 knots (Boat International, Yachts International). YachtBuyer lists 25 knots maximum and 20 knots cruising, with the same range quoted at 20 knots (YachtBuyer).
Where is Dubai now?
Her live position is shown on public AIS trackers: MarineTraffic and VesselFinder. Search by IMO 1006324 or MMSI 470886000 (MaritimeOptima).

Compare with

Yachts next to Dubai in the length ranking.

Eclipse yacht

Eclipse

162.5 m Blohm+Voss motor yacht, delivered 2010

Blue yacht

Blue

160.6 m · Lürssen · 2022

Sources (9)
  1. Boat International, Superyacht Directory: Dubai
  2. Boat International, Iconic yachts: Inside the build of 162m superyacht Dubai 15 Sep 2021
  3. Boat International, The top 25 largest yachts in the world 17 Feb 2025
  4. YachtBuyer, Dubai (Platinum Yachts)
  5. YachtCharterFleet, Dubai
  6. Yachts International, Platinum Yachts: Dubai 1 Jul 2009
  7. Yachts International, 2: Dubai 18 Jun 2012
  8. MaritimeOptima, Dubai (IMO and MMSI)
  9. Wikidata, Dubai (yacht) (IMO and MMSI)