Who’s going to the Dubai Boat Show?

In less than four months, the Dubai International Boat Show is scheduled to take place at Dubai Harbour following the inevitable postponement earlier this year due to instability in the Gulf. Having read, watched and listened to the current situation between the USA and Iran, it makes it hard to plan for November and invest the time and money to be part of the Boat Show when it is clear that so much more needs to be done in the region from a geo-political perspective.

For the Gulf’s sake, we need this conflict to be solved, as the region has already suffered massively due to huge reductions in tourism, oil flows being stalled and other trade being impacted. When you read the local news and what is currently available to non-locals, there appears to be a resilient business-as-usual rhetoric, but it’s hard to contemplate that the superyacht market will migrate to Dubai in 16 weeks’ time when you then read the US press and the not-so-subtle comments uttered by the President.

If Qatar and Saudi can collaborate and work hard on conciliatory talks and a ceasefire, there is a chance that all parties will conclude that no one has won and the best solution is a peace deal. But add into the mix the Houthi rebels in Yemen and their recent and potential future intervention on shipping lanes in the Red Sea, the regional pressure is being exacerbated and it’s hard to contemplate that all this will have calmed down in the next two months, as previous ceasefires and peace deals have failed within weeks of signing.

Therefore, this is essentially a call-out to the market to investigate the market’s perspective and attitude towards this year’s Dubai Boat Show and also the Qatar Boat Show and Abu Dhabi Boat Show, all taking place in November. As highlighted, it would be wonderful if these shows progress and we see this yachting hub stabilise for the future, but it’s a tough one to call.

With the recent announcement of a Red Sea Yacht Show next year, also in Q4, on the Jeddah Waterfront, we know that in the long term the Gulf is a hugely exciting market for our sector. Whether every country needs its own yacht show within a few weeks of each other needs some strategic thought, though, as the pressure this puts on dealers and primary exhibitors is excessive.