Sail
Superyacht refit in the Middle East has grown into a serious business, with UAE yards serving the Gulf's winter fleet and Türkiye ranking among the world's leading superyacht builders. Here are the shipyards owners and captains rely on.
Updated
At a glance
With many large yachts now based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi through the winter, the Gulf has developed yards and specialist contractors for everything from routine maintenance to major rebuilds. Summer, when cruising slows, is the natural refit window. Türkiye, meanwhile, has become one of the world's most important superyacht builders, with yards near Istanbul and on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.
Owners combining refit with cruising should also see our pages on marinas and superyacht charter.
The UAE's home-grown yacht builder, maker of the Majesty and Nomad lines, with large in-house facilities and after-sales support for owners in the Gulf.
Official site ↗One of the largest ship repair and conversion yards in the world, with very large dry docks, part of DP World. It handles major superyacht projects alongside commercial work.
Official site ↗A long-established Emirati shipbuilder with repair and refit capability in the capital.
Official site ↗The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard is a major dry-dock facility in the Gulf, known chiefly for commercial vessels and larger repair projects.
Official site ↗A family yard with long roots, building custom steel and aluminum superyachts in a modern facility on the Sea of Marmara.
Official site ↗Builder of some of Türkiye's best-known large superyachts, admired for engineering and interior finish.
Official site ↗The Tuzla shipbuilding district on Istanbul's Asian shore hosts many yards and specialist suppliers for new builds and refits.
A cluster of builders and refit specialists on the Mediterranean coast, close to the Turkish Riviera's summer cruising grounds.
Skilled yards renowned for traditional wooden gulets and for seasonal maintenance of yachts cruising the Turquoise Coast.
Allow time for project management, class surveys and crew accommodation ashore. Many owners and captains stay in Dubai or Istanbul during works: see Dubai's finest hotels and Istanbul on the Bosphorus. For the region's commercial harbors, see our ports guide.
The yachting and marine sector is part of the UAE's wider growth story; Dubai's property market reflects the same confidence.
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