Dubai is the name of a yacht currently owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. This vessel is 524 feet, 10 inches (162 m) long, is the second largest yacht in the world after Eclipse.[1]
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Formerly known under the project names "Panhandle" and "Platinum", the yacht was built by the German shipbuilding companies Blohm + Voss and Lürssen.[2]
It was bought by Platinum Yachts FZCO of Dubai, UAE, and shipped to Dubai in a floating dock. The partly finished steel hull and superstructure were completed by Platinum Yachts, who also managed the interior design to match the requirements of the new owner, completed the interior and exterior outfitting of the yacht and delivered the vessel in 2006 complete with full Lloyds Register certification.
In 2008, the vessel's air conditioning installation was upgraded to suit the Middle East climate conditions in order to cope with the higher heat load as experienced in the Persian Gulf region. (Her original design specifications were based upon Mediterranean conditions.)
The "Dubai" has a purpose built berth at the artificial island "Logo Island", located on the righthand side(from the coastline) of the Palm Island. A specially made quaywall was installed to accommodate the yacht at the island, as well as a navigational channel for access. The island is just offshore from the summer palace of HRH Sheik Mohammed.