Dubai boat show begins next week
The Dubai International Boat Show makes its return next week, welcoming no fewer than 450 yachts and boats from around the world to the Dubai Canal, said a report.
Running from February 26 to March 2, the 27th edition of the annual show will have Dh1.5 billion ($408.3 million) worth of boats for sale, live jet-ski, sailing and fishing competitions, diving displays, expert-led sea-based conversation, and a host of fun have-a-go sessions, said a report in WAM.
Ranging from fishing boats and small leisure-craft to 50-metre (164ft) superyachts, the boat show will be home to all things "chic nautique", and will once again be the Middle East’s premiere showcase of everything sea-based.
It will host a combined 38 global and regional launches, will welcome more than 800 different companies and brands from 50 countries, it said.
The global recreational boating market is experiencing an upswing, with growing interest in leisure activities such as fishing, sailing and watersports guiding the boating industry to a projected worth of $74.7 billion by 2022. In the UAE alone, the industry was valued at approximately $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion last year.
This demand, coupled with rising popularity of marine and coastal tourism activities, relaxed maritime regulations and a 50 per cent increase in local berths – a number which is set to grow by a further 1,400 with the 2020 opening of the new Meraas-developed Dubai Harbour – has seen a sizeable swell in the UAE’s recreational boating market, now home to more than 10,000 registered small-to-midsized boats, and a considerable share of the Middle East’s 216 40-metre-plus superyachts.
Speaking about the show, Saeed Hareb, secretary-general of Dubai Sports Council and senior advisor to the Dubai International Boat Show, said: "Dubai International Boat Show is a key driver of the expansion of the region’s recreational maritime sector. The UAE, and the wider region, has become a global must-visit location for all water enthusiasts, from leisure yachters and pleasure cruisers to divers and sailors."
The region as a whole is investing heavily in its maritime offering, with the UAE accounting for 35 per cent of that total investment. In conjunction with rising tourist numbers, the country is well positioned to continue to develop into one of the world’s most sought-after luxury marine locales, the report said.