Some of the world’s most expensive superyachts belong to some of the Middle East’s most powerful figures, from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Dubai to Al Lusail, the yacht associated with Qatar’s emir, and Serene, owned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Blue, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s vice president and deputy prime minister, is another example of the region’s appetite for enormous private vessels. Against this backdrop, it makes sense for a shipyard from the Gulf to develop superyachts around the region’s distinctive approach to luxury, where hospitality, extended families, and privacy matter as much as extravagant amenities.
That is precisely the ambition behind Grandweld Yachts, a new division launched by Dubai-based Grandweld Shipyards to build superyachts measuring 60 meters and above. Based in Dubai Maritime City, the shipyard brings more than 40 years of experience building military, offshore, and yacht support vessels to a new venture backed by more than 1,000 specialists and facilities capable of accommodating projects up to 130 meters long. Developed in partnership with superyacht designer and entrepreneur Sergey Dobroserdov of YT Advisory, the program has introduced Grandar 60 and Grandar 65, two yachts intended to bring Gulf-inspired architecture and hospitality to the international superyacht market.
A superyacht designed around Gulf hospitality
“The world doesn’t need another Med boat,” Dobroserdov said, describing a philosophy that moves away from the familiar Mediterranean template. The Grandar range instead takes inspiration from traditional Arabic architecture and the social customs of the Gulf, with the name incorporating dar, the Arabic word for home.
Rather than treating a yacht primarily as a retreat for an owner and a handful of guests, the designs emphasize multigenerational family life, formal entertaining, and generous spaces for receiving visitors. Majlis lounges, expansive dining areas, mashrabiya-inspired screens, and deep overhangs give the concept both a cultural identity and practical functions, providing privacy, shade, and protection from the sun.
The difference becomes particularly apparent aboard the 65-meter Grandar 65, which is designed to accommodate 16 guests while providing dining arrangements for as many as 24 people. Its planned facilities include a dedicated prayer room, an 85-square-meter owner’s suite, approximately 120 square meters of private exterior space, and a 7.5-by-3.5-meter swimming pool.
A separate spa deck is intended to feature a hammam, sauna, cryotherapy facilities, and treatment rooms, while a sea-view gym and a 14-seat private cinema extend the onboard leisure offering. The yacht’s accommodation plan also provides for 19 crew members and four additional staff, reflecting the distinction between professional yacht operations and the household personnel who may accompany a family.
The 60-meter Grandar 60 follows the same philosophy on a smaller scale, with accommodation for 12 guests and dining arrangements for up to 20 people. Its planned features include a Grand Majlis, a forward owner’s lounge with an integrated waterfall, and a panoramic aft shisha lounge with full air-conditioning and direct access to the exterior deck. Both designs incorporate helicopter facilities intended for Airbus H160-class aircraft, alongside layouts conceived for extended cruising and family use.
Built for the Gulf, designed to travel
The Grandar yachts are being developed with the region’s demanding climate in mind, with the design brief accounting for air temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius and seawater temperatures around 38 degrees Celsius. Proposed adaptations include enhanced climate control, HEPA filtration, ultraviolet-reducing glass, improved water-treatment systems, and extensive shaded areas.
The intention is to make comfort in extreme heat part of the engineering and architecture rather than an afterthought, while retaining the ability to cruise internationally. The Grandar 60 has a published target range of 5,500 nautical miles at 11 knots, while the Grandar 65 is listed at 6,000 nautical miles at 10 knots, supporting a seasonal pattern that could take owners between the Gulf, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean.
Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture is directing the technical development, with Dobroserdov Design responsible for the exterior styling and Bureau Veritas identified as the intended classification organization. Grandweld Yachts made its international debut at the Monaco Yacht Show 2026, but the program remains at an early stage, with construction of the Grandar 60 scheduled to begin in 2027.
No signed buyer or public delivery date has been announced, and the Grandar 65 remains in development. For Grandweld, the challenge now is to turn a culturally distinctive design philosophy into finished yachts capable of competing in a market long dominated by established European builders.
