Dubai (dpo) - Could this city be any gaudier?! Today, the world’s first skyscraper yacht embarked on its maiden voyage in Dubai. The Burj Khalifa building at a height of 830 m (2723 ft) served as an example for the megaproject, which was commissioned by well-known hotel owner and entrepreneur Emad al-Shareif.
Standing proud at 942 m (3,018 ft) in height and 200 storeys, the superyacht surpasses even the Burj Khalifa by more than 100 m (328 ft). The “Grand Arabia” offers everything you could ever wish for. It features 22 luxury restaurants, 12 cinemas, 14 gyms, three brothels and nine mega-discos, each on five stories, as well as seven branches of McDonald’s and more. The top 38 floors feature a further attraction – indoor bungee jumping. Travelling from the first floor to the 200th floor, takes about twelve minutes in an elevator so several helipads have also been installed to enable passengers to travel between floors more quickly.
Other than its height, there are no technical differences between this yacht and other ships. According to the construction engineers, the only additions are a more powerful engine, more on-board personnel and a bigger anchor.
However, there are some logistical limits: the floating hotel can only navigate in open waters or in rivers with bridges of a minimum height of 1,000 m (3,281 ft). Also, caution is advised when dealing with strong winds and waves since the 200th floor can sway laterally up to 400 m (1,312 ft). This is why particularly sturdy safety glass windows have been fitted – they will prevent passengers on the upper floors from being tossed into the sea.
According to media reports, the owner wishes to recoup at least some of the huge $130 billion spent on construction by renting out 80 of the 200 floors to business clients. Offshore companies especially are expected to snap up these luxurious offices. The remaining floors are intended for private use.
fed, dan, ssi; picture: Shutterstock; first published 2017-07-24
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