MB92 La Ciotat, the French superyacht refit shipyard, has successfully used its new 4,300-tonne shiplift and at the same time announced its expansion into the Middle East
The 60-metre superyacht ‘Bella Vita‘, built by Lürssen in 2010 was the first yacht to be lifted by the new lift. She will be joined by a number of other large yachts over the coming weeks before the platform is formally inaugurated later this year.
The construction of the 4,300t facility, which can accommodate six superyachts simultaneously up to 115 metres in length, represents a total investment of €47.6 million for MB92 Group and was delivered on time despite multiple challenges from Covid-19 and supply chain issues.
At the same time the company announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Al Seer Marine, and P&O Marinas, in view of setting up a joint venture to develop the first dedicated superyacht refit and repair facility in the UAE (Dubai).
This new high-capacity shipyard will provide superyacht owners with a customized world class refit service in the Gulf, the first of its kind in the region.
The shipyard construction is scheduled for completion in 2026, with the joint venture offering its superyacht repair and refit services from next year in 2023, as the start of this strategic plan.
Al Seer Marine has been looking to develop a superyacht service and refit yard in the UAE since 2019 following discussions with P&O Marinas in Dubai. Now with MB92 Group as the third partner and the chosen operator of the shipyard, this new facility will service the needs customers in the region locally.
Pioneering technology, shipyard efficiency and sustainability are key drivers for the three partners, with the unique ability to apply this mission and objectives at the very conception of the facilities, all the way through to the environmental impact of the projects themselves. The final result will be a unique, future proofed, world-class superyacht shipyard, setting new benchmarks and standards in the refit and repair sector.