Katara moored in Barbados, starboard side, with a helicopter on the aft deck
Katara moored in Barbados, February 2012.

Katara

Lürssen's largest delivery of 2010, a Qatari-flagged yacht designed by Espen Øino and Alberto Pinto.

124.4 m
Length
Lürssen
Shipyard
2010
Delivered
34
Guests

In short

Katara is a 124.4-metre motor yacht that Lürssen delivered in May 2010; she was built under the project name Crystal and was the yard's largest delivery that year (Boat International, YachtCharterFleet, SuperYacht Times). Espen Øino drew the exterior, with long covered side decks and stepped aft decks that keep guest areas sheltered, and Alberto Pinto designed the interior (YachtBuyer). She carries up to 34 guests and 95 crew, flies the flag of Qatar with Doha as her home port, and has a range of 5,000 nautical miles at cruising speed (Boat International). Nobiskrug refitted her between 2021 and 2022, with a full repaint, interior upgrades and a refurbishment of engines and generators (Boat International); she is not listed for charter (YachtCharterFleet).

Videos

Four tours from YouTube.

Lürssen 124m Superyacht KATARAYachts.mp4Watch on YouTube
Superyacht Katara sea trial ahead of her refit in Rendsburg, GermanySuperyachtblogWatch on YouTube
Superyacht Katara docking in GibraltarGibraltar YachtingWatch on YouTube
MEGA YACHT KATARA 124 Meter Yacht in Hamburg Blohm + Voss WerftSHIPSPOTTING Around The WorldWatch on YouTube

Photos

Katara in full profile on the river at the Nobiskrug yard, with blue cranes at the bow
At the Nobiskrug yard in Rendsburg, March 2020
Katara under way in calm water, port side, with a helicopter on the aft deck and mountains behind
Under way
Katara's stern from the quay, showing the stepped aft decks under shade canopies and the name on the transom
Stern and aft decks, Barbados, February 2012

Hull number 13656, known at the yard as Project Crystal.

Before her name was unveiled at launch: Boat International, Superyacht Directory: Katara, SuperYacht Times, The 124 metre Lürssen superyacht Katara (archived copy)
Katara moored alongside a quay, seen from above, with a helicopter on the aft deck
Alongside, seen from above
Katara moored in Tallinn harbour in front of a cruise ship
In Tallinn, September 2013
Katara moored next to the residential ship The World in Falmouth harbour
With The World in Falmouth, August 2020
Katara at the Blohm+Voss yard in Hamburg beside a floating dock and cranes
At the Blohm+Voss yard, Hamburg, May 2025

Further reading

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

Specifications

Length overall
124.4 m (408 ft)
Beam
19 m 19.5 m in some listings
Draught
5.3 m
Gross tonnage
7,922 8,010 in some listings
Shipyard
Lürssen, Lemwerder (Germany)
Build name
Project Crystal, hull 13656
Delivered
May 2010
Refit
2021–2022, Nobiskrug (Rendsburg): repaint, interior, engines and generators refurbished, propellers replaced, shafts realigned
Naval architecture
Lürssen
Exterior design
Espen Øino International
Interior design
Alberto Pinto
Construction
Steel hull, aluminium superstructure, teak decks
Classification
Germanischer Lloyd
Guests
34 in 18 suites 17 staterooms in some listings
Crew
95
Engines
2 × MTU 20V 1163 diesels
Speed
20 kn max, 15 kn cruising
Range
5,000 nm at cruising speed
Fuel capacity
500,000 litres
Flag and home port
Qatar, Doha
On board
Helipad, swimming pool, beach club, spa, gym, deck Jacuzzi, elevator, tender garage, at-anchor stabilisers
Owner
Reported to have been owned by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, former Emir of Qatar, who died on 12 July 2026 (YachtBuyer, July 2026); listed among the Al Thani family's yachts (Boat International, March 2018)
For sale
Not listed for sale
Charter
Not listed for charter

Where is she now

Live AIS position on:

MarineTrafficVesselFinder

IMO 9562805 · MMSI 466066000

Questions

How big is the Katara yacht?
Katara is 124.4 metres (408 ft) long, with a beam of 19 metres and a draught of 5.3 metres (Boat International, YachtCharterFleet). Her gross tonnage is 7,922 (YachtCharterFleet, Boat International); some listings give 8,010.
Who built and designed Katara?
Lürssen built her in Germany and did the naval architecture; the exterior is by Espen Øino International and the interior by Alberto Pinto (Boat International). She was delivered in May 2010 from Lürssen's Lemwerder yard (YachtCharterFleet).
How fast is Katara and how far can she go?
Two MTU diesel engines give a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots; at cruising speed her range is 5,000 nautical miles (Boat International, YachtCharterFleet). She carries 500,000 litres of fuel (YachtCharterFleet).
What is on board Katara?
A helipad, a swimming pool, a beach club, a spa, a gym, a deck Jacuzzi, an elevator and a tender garage (YachtBuyer). She has room for 34 guests in 18 suites and 95 crew (YachtCharterFleet).
Can you charter Katara?
Not at present, as far as public listings show. YachtCharterFleet lists Katara as not for charter (YachtCharterFleet).
Who owns Katara?
YachtBuyer reported in July 2026 that former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who died that month, was believed to be her owner (YachtBuyer). In March 2018 Boat International listed Katara among the large yachts of the Al Thani family (Boat International). Who holds her now has not been reported.
Where is Katara now?
Her live position is shown on public AIS trackers: MarineTraffic and VesselFinder. Search by IMO 9562805 or MMSI 466066000 (vesseltracker).

Compare with

Other yachts in the registry to set beside Katara.

Sources (11)
  1. Boat International, Superyacht Directory: Katara
  2. Boat International, Nobiskrug completes refit on 124m Katara 22 Aug 2022
  3. Boat International, The private museums owned by superyacht owners 13 Mar 2018
  4. SuperYacht Times, The 124 metre Lürssen superyacht Katara (archived copy) 2 Apr 2012
  5. SuperYacht Times, Katara yacht page (archived copy, April 2025) 24 Apr 2025
  6. YachtCharterFleet, Katara
  7. YachtBuyer, Katara
  8. YachtBuyer, Former Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, owner of 124m Lürssen superyacht Katara, dies aged 74 14 Jul 2026
  9. vesseltracker, Katara (IMO and MMSI)
  10. MaritimeOptima, Katara (IMO and MMSI)
  11. VesselFinder, Katara (archived copy, February 2026; IMO and MMSI) 12 Feb 2026