While the official opening isn’t until early 2022, the Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina hosted over 40 superyachts and smaller vessels for a preview and the inaugural Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix on the weekend of December 5. Some vessels in attendance included 95-meter M/Y O’Pari, 85-meter M/Y Sunrays, and 82-meter M/Y RoMEA.
"What a weekend we have had and what a fitting preview for this fantastic facility. It is clear from this F1 weekend that the Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina will be a perfect home port for private yachts, but also a great place to meet, enjoy sailing and water sports, and revel in the quality of services we have on offer,” General Manager Oliver Rees said in a press release.
It is the first marina along the Red Sea coast that will be able to accommodate yachts up to 120 meters, and the official opening will come in time for the return of the F1 Grand Prix to Jeddah on March 25-27, 2022. Built in record time by local Saudi Arabia events and resorts business SELA — six months from first breaking ground — the complex is in the northern part of Jeddah, only a few kilometers from the new King Abdulaziz airport and the city center. Not only does it include the new marina, the complex is home to the Jeddah Yacht Club and a selection of world-renowned retail and entertainment venues.
"We're delighted that the world of yachting now has its first home address on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. This weekend has been a fitting preview of what’s to come,” says Mohideen Nazer, director, Parks & Resorts at SELA. “We have developed a beautiful yacht club and marina and the people of Jeddah have shown their welcoming hospitality.”
With berths for 100 yachts up to 120 meters, the marina is “the first step of a series of major yachting developments that will take place in the Kingdom over the next ten years, stretching from Neom in the North to Amaala and the Red Sea Project further south down to Jeddah and beyond,” the press release states. It will provide customs clearance and immigration services to all vessels or be a stop on yachts’ way to the cruising grounds of the East Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia.
Short-term and long-term berths are available ahead of the official launch. For more info, those interested should contact the marina manager: berthing@jeddahyc.com.