Four years ago, when the 95-meter-long superyacht Neom (ex-Al Mirqab) returned to Oceanco for a comprehensive refit, the Dutch shipyard treated it as a new build. Instead of a thorough refurbishment, Oceanco transformed her into a new 105-meter-long vessel, which was renamed H3. Her current owner, Saudi billionaire Waleed bin Ibrahim al Ibrahim, chairman and owner of MBC Group, chose Monaco-based The A Group as its representative for the rebuild project. One of the unique requests by the owner during the process was to transform the windowless and featureless internal corridor between two lounges on the main deck into an immersive space that would wow the guests.
The A Group joined forces with UK-based consulting firm Smart Technology Advisors to take up the challenge. It’s the same company that worked on projects like creating the world’s first floating IMAX theater and transforming the gaming room of Al Mirqab by fitting a pair of state-of-the-art racing simulators.
For the H3 project, the consulting company came up with the idea to add videowalls, stretching the full length of the corridor. However, installing such videowalls measuring 13.5 m in total length and almost 2.1 meters in height was quite a big challenge.
Considering the length of the corridor, the specialist had to account for the vessel’s natural torsional movements when installing the videowalls. The expertise of the engineers working on the project and the skills of Oceanco’s naval architects were required for it to work flawlessly. The other big challenge was to maintain the alignment of the LED panels.
A bespoke magnetic mounting system was designed that allowed a small amount of movement for the panels but ensured they realigned themselves to their original intended position.
A floor-to-ceiling video wall on either side of the passageway required obviously required dedicated, professional-grade hardware to run. Additionally, bespoke content was needed for the videowall to offer an unmatched immersive experience to the guests. As a result, Pixera media servers were chosen to support the widely used Notch format, ensuring many content creation houses can create content for the video corridor.
In fact, the installation is powered by several of those cutting-edge media servers, each priced at more than $50,000. For durability, glue-on-board ‘GOB’ LED panels were chosen, while the specialists came up with unique cooling solutions for the video corridor. The final result was something that has become the highlight of H3.
M/Y H3 – an unprecedented, award-winning vessel
H3 was originally launched as Al Mirqab in 2000. Since then, the luxury vessel has changed hands several times. It was also renamed with each ownership change. In 2020, her current owner, Waleed bin Ibrahim al Ibrahim, sent the superyacht back to her builder for an extensive refit by the design of Reymond Langton as Project 105H. The work included the yacht to be extended by 10 m and a completely rebuilt superstructure. After three years of comprehensive, transformative work, the vessel was reborn as H3.
In terms of features and amenities, the superyacht boasts a 23-foot-long infinity pool, a beach club, and a climate-controlled winter garden. Additionally, the extravagant yacht includes a massive spa and wellness area, complete with a hair and nail salon, a gym at the top deck, and even a touch-and-go helipad.
The ultra-luxury vessel sleeps 20 guests in 10 guest lavish cabins, while she requires a crew of 38 members to operate. She is powered by 2 MTU engines, which give her a top speed of 18 kn. Currently, the beautiful superyacht is up for sale with an asking price of $320 million.
Who is Waleed bin Ibrahim al-Ibrahim?
Waleed bin Ibrahim al-Ibrahim is a prominent Saudi businessman, best known as the founder and chairman of the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) Group, one of the largest media conglomerates in the Arab world. MBC operates a variety of popular Arabic-language television channels and platforms. Born into a wealthy and influential family, Waleed bin Ibrahim is the brother-in-law of the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. His current net worth is estimated to be around $2.3 billion.
