El Mahrousa moored below the castle walls and the maritime prefecture in Brest, black-and-white postcard
El Mahrousa in Brest, France, on a 1950 postcard.

El Mahrousa

Egypt's presidential yacht, which Boat International says was the longest yacht in the world for more than a century.

Formerly Mahroussa, El Horriya

150.57 m
Length
Samuda Brothers
Shipyard
1865
Delivered
16 kn
Top speed

In short

El Mahrousa is a 150.57-metre steam yacht that the Samuda Brothers yard in London delivered in 1865 for Khedive Ismail, the Ottoman governor of Egypt; Boat International describes her as the world's longest yacht for more than a century (Boat International, Boat International). She was present at the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, and on 6 August 2015 she was the first vessel to pass through the New Suez Canal, the only ship present at both inaugurations (Boat International, Al-Monitor). Her hull was lengthened by 12.1 metres in 1872 and by 5.2 metres in 1905, and three Parsons steam turbines give her a top speed of 16 knots (Boat International). She serves as the Egyptian presidential yacht and is usually berthed in Alexandria, where the Egyptian Navy cares for her and lists her as a training ship (Boat International, February 2025).

Videos

Two tours from YouTube, most viewed first.

The royal yacht El Mahrousa, which took part in the canal opening (in Arabic)Akhbar El Yom TV · 6 Aug 2015 · 19,715 viewsWatch on YouTube
'Al Mahroosa', the significance of Egypt’s royal yachtCGTN Africa · 9 Aug 2015 · 2,179 viewsWatch on YouTube

Photos

El Mahrousa at sea in profile, black-and-white photo showing her single funnel, two masts and clipper bow
At sea under the name El Horriya, June 1976
El Mahrousa seen bow-on at a quay in Ponta Delgada, with a naval vessel moored in the foreground
Bow-on at Ponta Delgada, Azores, 10 August 1976
El Mahrousa underway behind a grey missile boat, with a helicopter overhead
Under escort at sea, September 1979
El Mahrousa entering harbour in profile with a tug alongside and cranes behind
Arriving in Haifa, September 1979

Further reading

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

Specifications

Length overall
150.57 m (494 ft) 145.7 m in some sources (Yachts International, 2012; CNN, 2021)
Beam
13 m
Draught
5.3 m (maximum)
Gross tonnage
4,560
Shipyard
Samuda Brothers, River Thames, London
Delivered
1865
Maiden voyage
August 1865
Design and naval architecture
Oliver Lang
Construction
Iron hull, iron and wood superstructure, teak decks
Decks
5
Crew
160
Engines
3 × Parsons steam turbines
Speed
16 kn max, 13 kn cruising
Lengthened
1872 (by 12.1 m, when her paddle wheels were removed) and 1905 (by 5.2 m)
Rebuilds and refits
Major rebuild 1950; major refit 1992
Former names
Mahroussa; El Horriya
Usual berth
Alexandria, Egypt
Owner
Egyptian presidential yacht, cared for by the Egyptian Navy, which lists her as a training ship (Boat International, February 2025)

Questions

How big is the El Mahrousa yacht?
El Mahrousa is 150.57 metres (494 ft) long, with a beam of 13 metres, a maximum draught of 5.3 metres and a gross tonnage of 4,560 (Boat International). Some sources give her length as 145.7 metres (Yachts International).
How old is El Mahrousa, and is she the oldest yacht in the world?
She was delivered by Samuda Brothers in 1865 (Boat International), which makes her more than 160 years old. Yachts International calls her the world's oldest surviving yacht (Yachts International), and CNN describes her as the oldest superyacht still in service (CNN).
Was El Mahrousa ever the biggest yacht in the world?
Yes. Boat International writes that she held the title of the world's longest yacht for more than a century (Boat International). The same Boat International article says the record ended with the delivery of Prince Abdulaziz in the 1980s, but it gives El Mahrousa 150.57 m and Prince Abdulaziz 147 m, so the figures do not support that end date (Boat International, February 2025). Boat International's superyacht directory currently lists her as the eighth-longest yacht in the world (Boat International), while its February 2025 top-25 list places her 11th (Boat International).
Was El Mahrousa the first ship through the Suez Canal?
She took part in the opening of the Suez Canal in November 1869 with Khedive Ismail on board, and Al-Monitor reports that she was the first ship to pass through the canal at the ceremony, a claim we could not confirm independently (Boat International, Al-Monitor). On 6 August 2015 she was also the first vessel through the New Suez Canal, making her the only ship present at both inaugurations (Al-Monitor).
Who owns El Mahrousa?
She is the Egyptian presidential yacht; the Egyptian Navy cares for her and lists her as a training ship (Boat International, February 2025). She was built for Khedive Ismail and served the Egyptian royal family until 1951 (Boat International, Alexandria Shipyard); after the 1952 revolution she was renamed El Horriya for a time (Yachts International).
Where is El Mahrousa now?
She is usually berthed in Alexandria and is seldom seen in public (Boat International). The sources we checked give no IMO number for her, so no live position is shown.

Compare with

Yachts close to El Mahrousa in length.

Al Said yacht

Al Said

155 m Lürssen motor yacht, delivered 2008

A+ yacht

A+

147.25 m Lürssen motor yacht, delivered 2012 as Topaz

Dubai yacht

Dubai

162 m motor yacht, started at Blohm+Voss, delivered by Platinum Yachts in 2006

Sources (7)
  1. Boat International, Superyacht Directory: El Mahrousa
  2. Boat International, The top 10 largest classic yachts in the world 15 Apr 2021
  3. Boat International, The top 25 largest yachts in the world 17 Feb 2025
  4. Yachts International, El Horriya (Ex-Al Mahroussa) 18 Jun 2012
  5. Al-Monitor, Sisi sails into Suez on swanky yacht 18 Aug 2015
  6. Alexandria Shipyard, The Royal Yacht El-Mahrousa
  7. CNN, The ten largest superyachts in the world (in Spanish) 20 Nov 2021