Dubai & UAE Yacht Charter
About Dubai & UAE
Almost everything you see in Dubai's skyline was built after 1990. The federation of the United Arab Emirates was founded in 1971, the year the British protectorate ended, and Dubai has spent every decade since reinventing what a coastline can do. The Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped hotel built on its own artificial island, opened in 1999. The Palm Jumeirah, the palm-tree-shaped peninsula made from reclaimed sand, was completed in 2007. The Burj Khalifa, still the world's tallest building at 828 metres, opened in 2010. A yacht charter on the UAE coast is more or less a tour of the most ambitious construction project of the last forty years.
It is also the easiest charter on a winter calendar. Dubai Marina, dredged in the early 2000s, holds 700-plus berths and runs straight into the towers. From there, most charters loop out around the World Islands and Palm Jumeirah, drop in at the older Persian-Arab harbour areas of Deira and Bur Dubai, and run south down the coast to Abu Dhabi and the wildlife island of Sir Bani Yas. The quiet anchorages of the Gulf, warm and clear through the winter, are the part of the trip clients tend to remember longest.
The Gulf yachting season runs October to April, when the heat eases and the humidity drops. Most charters pick up in Dubai Marina or Mina Rashid. The Dubai International Boat Show, in late February or early March, is the regional charter and brokerage event, and a charter that starts there is one way to see what is in the UAE fleet for the season ahead.
Highlights
Destination Info
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Where to sail
The Palm and the World Islands
Off Dubai lie the built islands: the Palm Jumeirah, the palm-shaped peninsula of reclaimed sand completed in 2007, and the World Islands, an archipelago dredged into the shape of a world map. A yacht loops through them and anchors off the beach clubs and villas, with the towers of the marina behind. It is the set-piece of a Dubai charter and the easiest half-day on the water.
Dubai Marina and the skyline
The base of most charters, Dubai Marina holds more than seven hundred berths and runs straight into the towers. Alongside it, Mina Rashid and the older harbour districts of Deira and Bur Dubai give the other face of the city. Anchoring off the skyline at dusk, with dinner ashore, is one of the fixed pleasures of the trip.
Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas
South of Dubai, a half-day passage reaches Abu Dhabi and its islands. Sir Bani Yas, a longer run and an overnight turnaround, is a conservation island with a wildlife reserve, a complete change from the built coast: beaches, a nature park and quiet anchorages. It is the wild end of the UAE ground.
The outer anchorages and east coast
Away from the marina, the quieter anchorages of the Gulf and the UAE east coast give the swimming, snorkelling and diving that fill the middle days of a charter: warm, clear water, coral in places, and coves out of the swell. It is the part of the week the crew shape around the wind and the light.
What it costs
- From
- From about EUR 35,000 / week for a crewed yacht
- Included
- The weekly fee covers the yacht and all its equipment, including the tenders and water toys, the full crew, and the yacht's insurance.
- Extras
- Your running costs are paid separately, through an advance provisioning allowance (APA): in the UAE this runs around 25 to 30 percent of the fee. The captain uses it to pay for fuel, berthing, provisioning, the food and drink for your party, and the harbour and permit fees, then gives you a full account at the end and refunds whatever is left. The UAE charges 5 percent VAT on the charter. A customary crew gratuity is on top.
Prices rise with the size of the yacht and the time of year.
We explain the money side properly: What is included under MYBA, How the APA works, VAT and charter tax, and What to tip the crew.
Before you go
When to go
The season is October to April, the Gulf winter, when the heat eases and the humidity drops to give clear skies and calm, warm water. It is a short, reliable window. The summer, May to September, is too hot and humid for comfortable charter, and the fleet is quiet. The Dubai International Boat Show falls in late February or early March, in the middle of the season. We match the route to your dates within the winter window.
Getting there
Charters pick up in Dubai Marina or Mina Rashid, both a short drive from Dubai International, one of the best-connected airports in the world. A week covers the ground comfortably: the islands off Dubai and a run south to Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas. We set the itinerary and the logistics before you book.
Swimming and diving
The Gulf is warm and clear through the winter, and the swimming, snorkelling and diving fill the middle of a charter: the reefs and coves of the east coast and the quiet anchorages away from the marina. The crew carry the gear and plan the water around the day. It is easy, warm-water swimming rather than a technical dive trip.
Choosing the yacht
UAE charters run mostly on crewed motor yachts and superyachts, well suited to the warm, mostly calm Gulf and the runs between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. A larger motor yacht covers the ground in comfort and gives the deck space for the climate; the marquee superyachts are here too. The good boats book up ahead for the October to April window, so plan in advance. If you are weighing crewed against bareboat, our guide on bareboat versus crewed sets out the difference. Browse the current fleet on our yachts page.
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