Gulf Craft has been building boats for over 40 years, first starting in the 1980s with the vision of its founders to serve the local market. Fast forward to 2026 and the company has now built more than 10,000 boats across four separate sub-brands. I am Sean Robertson, Superyacht Consultant for Denison Yachting, and I recently visited Gulf Craft’s yacht brand Majesty, first formed in 2004 and now recognized worldwide as a leader in the yacht building sector.

The shipyard is located in Umm Al-Quwain in the United Arab Emirates and is just a short 45-minute drive from Dubai International Airport. Arriving at a grand entrance, I passed through a gate revealing a covered shipyard with close to 500,000 sq ft of production area right on the waterfront, with the capacity to launch vessels up to 180ft. Around 2,000 skilled employees contribute to the hand-built yachts, and in what is very unusual within the yacht building sector, it is a truly vertically integrated shipyard.

Accompanied by Marios Christopoulos, their International Sales Manager, I was shown all areas of the facility, from design studios covering every aspect of naval architecture to interior fit-out and finishes, and then on to mould making with a five-axis milling machine capable of cutting everything from full hulls and decks down to the finest details. Marios explained that due to the shipyard’s location, most skills have had to be brought on site, encompassing metal fabrication, CNC machines, water and laser cutters, and full teams of cabinet makers and fit-out specialists.

This level of full shipyard integration is very rarely seen in the yacht industry, with most manufacturers relying on third-party suppliers for much of the work carried out on site here. That gives Majesty a distinct advantage in its ability to create bespoke features and maintain consistent quality control at the same high standard throughout the build of any of its yachts.

The focus since 2021 has been on a completely new range of yachts from 100 to 160ft that stand out in the market not only through stunning exterior and interior design, but through first-to-market innovation delivering truly unique options. The first of these new launches, the 100 Terrace, has received critical acclaim since its debut and has already collected multiple awards. It was closely followed by the 112 Terrace, and most recently the 145 Yacht.

After viewing the manufacturing facilities, we ventured outside to the marina where the 100 Terrace, 112 Terrace, and the first hull of the newly launched 145 Yacht were all being prepared for handover to their respective clients. It was an impressive sight, and there was no question that bringing any prospective client to the shipyard to see that in-water display would give them every confidence in how Gulf Craft has become a dominant force in the superyacht market.

Our final stop was the overwater hospitality suite, complete with full dining and conference facilities, creating an inviting setting to discuss the finer details of the Majesty superyacht range.

It was a fantastic tour, and I came away with a clear understanding of why Majesty Yachts has earned genuine worldwide recognition despite being built in the UAE. The brand’s continued success comes down to ambition, innovation, and of course, beautiful design. Browsing through their literature and website, they use the tagline “Experience Excellence” and from everything I saw that day, it was not just a slogan. That ethos is clearly driven by the shipyard’s ownership and felt throughout the entire team in Umm Al-Quwain, along with a genuine passion for feedback and continuous improvement.

Sean Robertson is a Superyacht Consultant of Denison Yachting, one of the world’s largest yacht brokerages, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.