Gulf Craft

SEAFARING A NEW WAVE OF

From fishing vessels to megayachts, Gulf Craft keeps seafarers afloat in style. Deputy Managing Director, Abeer AlShaali dives into the waters of a business born from passion that has grown to become a leviathan on the global stage of elite boatbuilding

Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Kierron Rose

SEAFARING

aluminium and steel. In an age where the superyacht has become a signifier of status and celebrity, luxury leisure boating has exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry.

Nevertheless, from the age of antiquity to modern day, the same

EME OUTLOOK: COULD YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE LAUNCH OF YOUR NEWEST BOATS?

ABEER ALSHAALI, DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR: “We announced two key yachts at the Dubai International Boat Show in 2022. At the 2023 show, we will launch the Majesty 111. This is not simply a new yacht – it’s a whole new definition of what a superyacht can be. It’s a gorgeous boat with cutting edge technical features that help to bring the outside in.

“In addition, we announced the Majesty 160 superyacht. There are some key features in this design that are going to be very captivating for clients and we’ve already had a lot of interest. “Both boats are extremely futureforward and I think that 2023 is going to be a great year for these two yachts.”

undeniable magnetism of the ocean and the romance of seafaring endures.

It is an impulse that beats strongly within Abeer AlShaali, Deputy Managing Director of Gulf Craft – a leading manufacturer of superyachts and one of the top seven superyacht builders in the world.

“I have always been fascinated by boatbuilding – that you can take an idea, draw it, build it, and see it come to life,” she continues.

This is precisely what Gulf Craft has excelled at for decades, with 2022 commemorating the company’s 40th anniversary. This manufacturing milestone celebrates Gulf Craft’s prestigious history in designing, building, and shipping boats across global waters through a vast distribution network from its base in the UAE.

“We are made in the UAE, and we are very proud of that, but we don’t think of ourselves as an Asian builder or as a Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region builder. We are a boat builder for boat enthusiasts, and that’s international,” says AlShaali.

“We speak boat, and we have a passion for it.”

THE PURSUIT OF A PASSION

Gulf Craft was born in 1982 as the brainchild of its current chairman and AlShaali’s father, Mohammed Alshaali – an entrepreneurial businessman and professional diplomat with an aptitude for identifying a gap in the market.

“It basically began with my father, his partner and his brothers looking at the cost of shipping boats into the UAE,” explains AlShaali.

“He came from a strong background in boating, his grandfather and father both worked as captains, and everyone in his family had gone out to sea. It was a passion that they all shared,” she recalls. “They began to study the size of the market, its potential, and shortly after the company was established.”

Cantalupi Light Engineering

Cantalupi is a group made up of three companies - Cantalupi Electric Systems, founded in 1951, Cantalupi Light Engineering, born in 2001 and 4C Innovation, established in 2015recognised around the world for their expertise and specialisation by the most important shipyards, designers and architectural firms. To this day, Cantalupi has operated on more than 800 yachts throughout its 71 years of history.

Specifically, Cantalupi Light Engineering specialises in the production of technical and decorative lights for the superyacht industry. The design and manufacture of the lighting solutions take place within its facilities in Tuscany, where the Bespoke Division is also based. The aim of the company is to create excellent, highly customised solutions that represent the best synthesis between technology, elegance and beauty. The company also stands out for professional services and maximum customer support.

From an “idea of light” Cantalupi Light Engineering can develop the whole project through solutions that match every single project, request and design need.

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The excellence of yacht lighting in the world

Together, Gulf Craft’s founding members sought to change a nascent market whose development was hampered by prohibitive shipping costs, a significantly underdeveloped marine infrastructure and a virtually non-existent skilled labour force. Regardless, an undeterred passion for the sea kept the idea afloat.

Navigating the choppy waters of a budding maritime environment, Gulf Craft began bringing the boating

industry to UAE waters with the production of fishing boats. Although a far cry from the superyachts that have become synonymous with the Gulf Craft name today, such fishing vessels remain a key staple of the company’s portfolio.

“We are not only superyacht focused – that’s a key thing for Gulf Craft. We are interested in boats across the range regardless of size,” affirms AlShaali.

MAKING WAVES IN THE MALDIVES

Gulf Craft has been in the Maldives for over 20 years and was the first to introduce fibreglass boats to the archipelago – a significant technological advancement from the wooden dhows formerly used.

“We introduced this modern technology to the Maldives, and we continue to enjoy a very good relationship with the people of that country,” AlShaali comments. Most recently, Gulf Craft has launched a new manufacturing base here to develop its boatbuilding footprint.

“The Maldives is a unique situation in that the nation relies heavily on boats. Our current facility has provided roughly 85 percent of the transportation services there, including emergency services, public transport and resorts and leisure transits. It was the natural next step for us to continue to build a bigger facility and advance the new wave of bringing yachts into the Maldives.”

Working in collaboration with the local government, the new facility will be a state of the art manufacturing base. In addition, Gulf Craft will be working closely in partnership with the community by building a school where Maldivians can be trained and educated in these skills.

Sylka Carpets

SYLKA Carpets reinvents luxury with new ecoconscience innovation

One of the world’s leading producers of luxury carpets for superyachts has achieved what many thought was impossible, by bringing to market a totally sustainable luxury carpet, perfect for the marine industry.

With a long and successful history of supplying and installing flooring on some of the world’s most opulent vessels, SYLKA wanted to take its next big step and revolutionise their entire range through the creation of EcoSylk.

At the heart of this bold development by SYLKA is a commitment to reducing carpet waste by preventing thousands of tonnes of used carpets from going to landfill through the regeneration of used yarns.

EcoSylk is the embodiment of a ‘circular solution’, ensuring that every carpet SYLKA creates not only comes from recycled fibres but are themselves fully recyclable – ensuring no carpet waste ever ends up in landfill again.

No other luxury carpet producers have made such a significant commitment to quality, style and sustainability.

World-renowned for producing some of the highest quality carpets and rugs, SYLKA’s products have the benefits of being luxurious to the touch, with a deeply lustrous look, while remaining easy to maintain and more resilient to wear and fibre loss than traditional wool and viscose carpets.

Through careful development, EcoSylk retains these award-winning characteristics, while also delivering on SYLKA’s pledge to be a reducer, rather than a producer of waste.

sylkamarine.com

Indeed, the company’s diverse product range is a unique market differentiator in building all the way from 32 ft vessels to 175 ft, produced entirely in-house and under one corporate identity. Alongside the company’s commercial line, Gulf Craft builds Majesty and Nomad yachts and superyachts, Oryx sport cruisers, and SilverCraft leisure family fishing vessels.

Complementing this expansive range are the unparalleled in-house capabilities which AlShaali credits as another standout attribute for Gulf Craft in producing these floating masterpieces.

“The company is more like five factories in one because we do our own joinery, upholstery, metalworks, carpentry and more – all of it is done in-house.”

Although the challenging nature of the market conditions at the time of inception may have initially

hampered the company, it was this lack of infrastructure that forced Gulf Craft’s hand in developing its own expertise in-house, culminating in a vertically integrated operation that today represents one of its greatest advantages.

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

Since AlShaali was invited by her father to take on a role at Gulf Craft, she has continued to echo the zeal and passion that is the company’s bedrock, while also introducing her own vision with a particular emphasis on developing a local supply chain and enhancing opportunities for training and development.

“I never even think of it as a career - I grew up around boatbuilding with the factory constantly in the background. I always had an affinity for it,” she says.

“The idea behind me joining was to carry forward my father’s vision and legacy, to help to continue delivering

Besenzoni S.p.A.

Besenzoni S.p.A. offers an incomparable range of standard and custom made products for yachts and superyachts: external and re-entering gangways, deck or garage cranes to hoist tenders and water toys, automatic roof systems, pilot seats, boarding and multifunctional ladders, patio and pantograph doors, windows with electric movement, balconies and garage doors opening solutions, automations beach area and anything else that may be entrusted to an accessory.

Made in Italy enriched by the most innovative and avant-garde technological and design solutions, they constitute the best range available on the market.

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Heirlooms

Heirlooms is a unique British manufacturer regarded as the Rolls Royce of bespoke linens. With an outstanding team of craftspeople, we design and manufacture luxurious linens for a growing international clientele.

Whether private homes, palaces, superyachts or private aircraft, Heirlooms has the expertise to meet the needs of our discerning clients.

An ongoing commitment to sustainable materials is reflected in us holding the Royal Warrant to her late Majesty the Queen and to the former Prince of Wales – King Charles III. We are honoured to support Gulf Craft with stunning linens for their yachts.

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on our quality and growth, while also bringing in international standards and cleaning up some of the processes and habits that had been formed over the years.”

Although to a lesser extent than in 1982, Gulf Craft still confronts the weaknesses of UAE’s manufacturing base. As such, AlShaali today leverages the Gulf Craft name to champion a strong focus on developing the Emirate’s marine prowess.

“Being in an environment that doesn’t have a strong manufacturing infrastructure, it’s something that we are constantly working on,” she says.

“Going forward, I would like to grow our supplier base locally, so that as we continue to grow, we bring up the people around us. My father is extremely supportive of this.”

To be able to source niche products, such as marine-certified glass and pantograph doors from within the

UAE, would be a major advantage for both the company, and the industry across the region.

This holistic vision also opens windows for building the future of the industry, training and educating the next generation of boatbuilders and manufacturers.

“For me also, it’s a great opportunity to work with universities and schools to provide internships to students. I like to get very involved personally with that side of the business,” AlShaali adds.

BEYOND BOATBUILDING

Although its products are arguably the greatest symbol of the Gulf Craft name, the company in its entirety comprises a broad network of different departments and expertise that work in synergy to keep the cogs of this well-oiled machine turning.

This entails internal production processes, such as concept, design

Hydromar

Gulf Craft has chosen to equip their recently produced yachts with the SeaScape, a multipurpose platform produced by Hydromar. The SeaScape can be used in many ways and for many purposes; launching of tenders and jetski’s, serving as a swim platform, providing access to the dock, becoming a stage, the possibilities are endless. The platform is capable of moving in and out and up and down while staying horizontal with a self-leveling ladder, this makes it versatile in use.

Hydromar has developed the SeaScape according to their highquality standards and standardised solutions philosophy. The multipurpose platform will continue to operate under all conditions and can easily withstand the water pressure while being submerged. The SeaScape comes in different standardised sizes, the range is such that Hydromar will be able to find a match for yachts from 40m to over 150m.

The outstanding quality of welldeveloped and proven standardised solutions can be found in the entire portfolio of Hydromar; gangways, boarding ladders, swim ladders, deckand garage cranes, to name a few. In many instances we are the complete system integrator of all the hydraulic equipment on board a yacht. Many yacht builders, like Gulf Craft, choose Hydromar because of the knowledge they have in the combination of machining, shipbuilding and hydraulics. Hydromar continues to improve and innovate their products while focusing on excellent quality, craftsmanship and reliability.

www.hyrdromar.nl

and engineering, which have enabled Gulf Craft to build and develop its own brands, compared to other players in the market.

“What differentiates us is that we have not purchased brands – these are our brands that we have developed ourselves,” states AlShaali.

Although the company may occasionally collaborate with external international firms for certain design elements depending on the project - as AlShaali says, “everything is a

cooperation” - this in-house expertise remains a huge strength.

“We have had design firms say that they find it easier to work with us because we have that perspective and those design skills in-house. When they’re talking to us, they’re talking to the boatbuilder, to the guys who are going to understand the design, and that’s been a great advantage.”

This extends beyond the production process to client-facing departments including sales and marketing which

SEA&BOAT NV Superyacht Systems by SEA&BOAT

Gulf Craft collaborates with the Greek manufacturer SEA&BOAT on choosing the luxury custommade NV gangways for the Majesty Superyacht Collection.

In recent years, the superyacht industry has focused on transforming vessels into luxury accommodation units. The yachts are not just a transport method to a destination anymore. Now the travel is the destination. Gulf Craft, being perfectly aligned with this perspective, offers an extraordinary overall in-sea experience with the Majesty Superyacht Collection.

Stepping on such outstanding vessels, the gangway systems are essential and have to meet excellence. This has always been what SEA&BOAT aims for with their NV systems range; excellence in the equipment provided, but also incorporating a high responsibility in their technical support. These features are the reasons why SEA&BOAT has created a strong cooperation with Gulf Craft, being a valuable and reliable partner for all their new-build superyachts. NV offers these systems as customised equipment especially designed according to the vessel model, but still every NV gangway is managed as a new project, becoming a unique masterpiece for each superyacht, with extraordinary details, as well as extra features and functions upon request. Moreover, all NV products are handmade, giving exceptional attention to detail and finishing, and ensuring that the end product is a true reflection of the owner’s expectations.

Further to the NV gangway custom and standard range, SEA&BOAT also offers customised solutions for multifunctional boarding systems, Pwd boarding systems, lifting systems and other hydraulic equipment, such as boarding ladders, deck cranes, hydraulic platforms, ceiling davits etc.

SEA&BOAT: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, we just make it happen. seaboat.gr

Gulf Craft Shipyard, UAE

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“WE HAVE THE SAME CLIENTS WHO WILL BUY A SUPERYACHT AND A FAMILY FISHING VESSEL FROM US. THEY CHOOSE TO DO THAT WITH GULF CRAFT BECAUSE THEY KNOW WE CAN OFFER THAT VARIETY WHILE BEING HANDLED BY JUST ONE RELATIONSHIP MANAGER”

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fulfil a critical role in streamlining relationship management through one point of contact handling the customer’s access to the diverse portfolio of products that Gulf Craft offers.

“We have the same clients who will buy a superyacht and a family fishing vessel from us. They choose to do that with Gulf Craft because they know we can offer that variety while being handled by just one relationship manager,” she explains.

CHANGING TIDES

As Gulf Craft moves forward into a period of extensive growth, investment is being made across the board within all these various segments – from recruitment, to products, service facilities and developing brand awareness in different markets – to ensure that the entire network advances as one.

A key example of Gulf Craft’s recent investments is the launch

of its new manufacturing facility in the Maldives where the company intends to strengthen its presence in a strategic market. Complementing this international outlook, Gulf Craft will continue to expand its global dealer network to reflect its interest in boating in its entirety.

“We like the challenge of adapting to the demands of boat and yacht owners from around the globe and we’re committed to strengthening our

ABEER ALSHAALI, DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR, GULF CRAFT

product offering and our relationships – externally and internally - through the way we conduct our business and what we offer to the world,” surmises AlShaali.

Two exciting new developments were announced in the Gulf Craft product range last year, after it declared the launch of the superyachts Majesty 111 and Majesty 160. The latter represents the pinnacle of modern boatbuilding.

“These boats show how we are always interested in creating something new,” she says. “We are excited to go and show the world these new creations.”

Under AlShaali’s direction, Gulf Craft refuses to drift into the doldrums, keeping afloat on a continual tide of innovation and improvement.

“In any company, occasionally you need to do a kind of audit to sit back and re-evaluate processes. It can be easy when you’re vertically integrated to continue moving in the same way, but it’s essential that we continually re-assess,” she says.

“We are committed to continuously improving our build techniques, processes, and whatever it is that we can do to create something better.”

NEW HORIZONS

With its sights set on the future, Gulf Craft will maintain its leading position at the prow of the global boatbuilding and yacht manufacturing market.

“We are one of the premier shipyards in the world. We have sold boats from Panama to Tonga and we’re proud of that. We will continue to ship wherever we can,” shares

AlShaali.

Gulf Craft’s continued success since its inception is something of an anomaly in the superyacht world, with AlShaali highlighting an industry report documenting the traumatic decade following the financial crisis of 2008-2009. During this time, 50 percent of all superyacht builders in the world were forced to close following bankruptcy.

“The fact that we’re still standing and growing after 40 years is testament to our capabilities.”

Gulf Craft Shipyard, UAE

GULF CRAFT

13, Sheikh Ahmed

Al Mualla Road PO Box 521, Umm Al-Quwain United Arab Emirates

Tel: +971 (0) 6 706 8000 gci@gulfcraftinc.com www.gulfcraftinc.com

bin Rashid

PRODUCED BY EME OUTLOOK MAGAZINE