All new Monaco mobile numbers will be issued exclusively with the Principality’s +377 international dialling code from 1st October, ending the use of French-prefixed 06 numbers for new lines. Existing customers will keep their current numbers and will not need to take any action.
The change follows new agreements between the Prince’s Government and French telecommunications regulator Arcep, and is intended to strengthen Monaco’s digital sovereignty and improve protection against fraudulent calls.
Decades of shared infrastructure
Since the introduction of mobile telephony to Monaco in 1993, the Principality’s mobile numbering plan has been closely tied to the French network. Early mobile lines were assigned ten-digit numbers beginning with the French prefix 06. Although Monaco secured its own international code (+377) in 1996—a milestone for its telecommunications independence—Monaco Telecom has historically operated number blocks under both French (+33) and Monégasque (+377) prefixes.
The upcoming update formally ends this legacy arrangement for all future line allocations.
Enhanced security and standardised formatting
Under the new protocol, any residential or corporate customer activating a new mobile contract with Monaco Telecom will receive an eight-digit number preceded by the +377 international code. Beyond reinforcing national identity across international telecommunications, standardising the numbering system serves a vital security function. Unifying new allocations under +377 allows for stronger protection measures against caller ID spoofing, fraudulent activity, and nuisance calls, according to the government.
Continuity for existing subscribers
For current Monaco Telecom customers, the transition will involve no disruption. Existing subscribers holding 06 numbers will retain them with no administrative action or adjustments required. By balancing modernised security protocols with total continuity for current users, Monaco continues to advance its overarching digital strategy while streamlining its national network architecture.
It will stretch 323 metres from bow to stern, become the world’s largest residential yacht and house a few hundred of the world’s wealthiest people in residences costing between €10 million and €100 million. But money alone will not secure a place aboard, and no single nationality will be permitted to dominate the community. In a striking departure for a project of this scale and pedigree, Ulyssia will be built in China.
Ulyssia is the residential superyacht conceived as a permanent floating home for the ultra-wealthy. On the opening morning of the Monaco Yacht Show, I sat in the private Monaco home of its founder, Frank Binder — himself the project’s principal investor and the buyer of the first penthouse on board — as he and lead architect Espen Øino set out where the reportedly €2 billion-plus vessel will be built, and who will be allowed to live aboard.
China Merchants Cruise Shipbuilding (CMCS) in Shanghai has now secured the build, with the definitive contract due to be signed on 12th November 2026, the point Ulyssia regards as the formal start of construction. Delivery is planned for 2031, followed by a maiden voyage from Monaco.
Credit: Espen Øino International
Why China
The most consequential decision has been the move from Meyer Werft, the German builder previously attached to the project, to CMCS in Shanghai. “It comes down to two things: the quality and the capabilities of the shipyard,” Binder said. “It was a big step that we evaluated very carefully, and since then it has been proven to be the right decision.”
One capability set the yard apart: CMCS will provide a purpose-built facility large enough to accommodate the entire vessel. “They offer something very few other shipyards can – we can finish the exterior fairing and the interior outfitting within a climate-controlled facility,” Binder said. “A climate-controlled shed of this size does not exist anywhere else in the world.”
This is billed as a first-of-its-kind marriage: Chinese scale, technology and speed wedded to European design and craftsmanship. CMCS will build the vessel, supported by its Finnish engineering subsidiary Deltamarin, while the interior remains in the hands of Italy’s FM Architettura, with specialist outfitters from Germany, Austria and Italy. “We’ll be building with the best European companies in China,” Binder said.
Credit: Espen Øino International
For Øino, the choice reflects a bigger shift. “We were all very impressed by what we saw: the engineering resources they have in-house, the infrastructure and the people,” he said. “China is already the world’s biggest commercial shipbuilding nation and is moving up the value chain. That is one of the differences between China and the Western world: it takes a long view. When it decides where it wants to be in ten years, it follows through and does what is required to get there.”
Øino illustrated the point by comparing one of Europe’s most prestigious luxury marques with the rapidly advancing quality of Chinese manufacturing. “When I arrived from the United States, I was collected from the airport in a Rolls-Royce. You think: this is the benchmark,” he said. “The next day, the shipyard sent a Chinese car. I cannot remember the brand, but the comfort, suspension, materials and interior were at least at the same level – perhaps even better. For me, it was a real reminder of what is happening in China.”
The subtext is hard to miss. A vessel once destined for a northern European yard is now, in part, a statement about where shipbuilding is heading, and a bet that a Chinese yard can deliver a project of this value to yacht standard.
Credit: FM Architettura
Who gets to live aboard
If the build is the headline, the make-up of the community is the more revealing part. Ulyssia is designed around 122 residences and 22 guest suites, though Binder said optimisation of the layout could eventually allow as many as 130 homes. Buying one is not a straightforward transaction; the project is as concerned with curating a society as with selling property.
“We carry out a detailed background check on every prospective buyer so we understand who they are and where they come from,” Binder said. “It is also extremely important for us to meet people personally. They must demonstrate that they can pay, although we do not require a bank guarantee covering the entire purchase price.” Nor is paying enough: “This is a very exclusive community, and we need to make sure we have the right owners who will fit together to create what we believe will be the most exclusive club in the world.”
Credit: LINLEY, Interior Designer
Interest has come from Europe, Asia and South America, but the strongest demand so far is from the United States. Binder said the mix of residents will be carefully managed: “We do not want one nationality or demographic group to dominate, so we will set an upper limit of 30% for any single group.” Prospective buyers so far are around 53 or 54 years old on average, though the project is also designed for families, with an onboard school planned, and younger owners who can work remotely. Small pets are welcome too.
Even the €10 million entry price is deliberate. “If one person bought for €500,000 and another for €500 million, they might have very different expectations and mindsets, and the community may not function,” said Binder.
Each residence is acquired through a share in the company that owns the vessel, under a Swiss-law structure, and can be inherited or sold. Every new buyer is vetted. In succession, Binder acknowledged, there is “naturally less control”, though he does not expect it to become a problem.
Credit: FM Architettura
A luxury yacht designed as a floating home
Binder and Øino were careful to distinguish Ulyssia from a cruise ship. Despite its 323-metre length and 122 private residences, it is being designed to combine the standards of a luxury yacht with the space and privacy of a permanent home.
Residences will range from 110 to 953 square metres, with one to six bedrooms, private terraces and fully equipped living spaces. He compared the experience to owning an apartment in Monaco’s Tour Odéon – but one that travels. Residents will have everything they need within their own homes, rather than relying on large communal areas for space.
“The number of people aboard at any one time will be far lower than on a conventional ship of a similar size,” Øino said. “The challenge is therefore also to ensure that the public spaces do not feel oversized or empty.”
The exterior, meanwhile, has been designed to reduce the visual impression of its height. “Every second deck has a dark line, so what looks like one deck from a distance is, in reality, two,” Øino said.
Inside, private or semi-private lobbies will replace long cruise-ship corridors. “When you step out of a lift, you arrive directly within your own small neighbourhood and then enter your home,” revealed Øino.
Credit: FM Architettura
The concept is partly aimed at people who could buy a yacht but would prefer not to manage one. Binder estimated that a private yacht can cost around 10% of its value each year to operate, while Ulyssia’s annual charge is currently projected at about 3.5% of the residence’s purchase price, covering food, fuel, marina fees, maintenance and scheduled refits.
The ship will carry seven restaurants, a two-level Chenot spa, a marina and dive centre, two helicopters and two Triton submersibles. It will also be the first vessel, the company says, to give every crew member — from dishwasher to captain — a single cabin, part of a two-to-one crew-to-resident ratio meant to keep service familiar and turnover low.
Borrowing from The World, the residential ship launched in 2002, owners will suggest destinations and vote on a professionally planned itinerary; what they will not do, Binder insisted, is rush: “We take our time. We’ll stay in one place for a while, rather than rushing from one sight to the next.”
Credit: Espen Øino International
Monaco at the centre of the project
Ulyssia’s hybrid-electric propulsion system will use generators to produce electricity for its motors and is being designed to accommodate sustainable fuels. The configuration should also allow components to be replaced as cleaner technologies become commercially viable.
The move to CMCS has reset the project’s timetable, but it now has a defined route forward: the build contract scheduled for November, approximately four-and-a-half to five years of construction and delivery in 2031.
The remaining test is whether Ulyssia can convert its reservation agreements into binding sales and build the carefully selected international community Binder envisages. The company says interest is strong and expects the residences to sell out before delivery.
The World proved that a privately owned residential ship can sustain a permanent community at sea. Ulyssia intends to take that model much further, combining it with the design, service and finish of a superyacht on an unprecedented scale. At 323 metres, it would dwarf even the largest yachts gathered in Port Hercule this week before setting out on its maiden voyage from Monaco.
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Main image credit: Espen Øino International
The Sophs and Copycat to take the stage as Kaléido returns to Monaco
Monaco’s youth-focused cultural programme Kaléido will return this October with a new live music event, bringing two rising rock acts to Auditorium Rainier III.
The event will take place on Saturday 3rd October, transforming Auditorium Rainier III’s Troparium into a festival space with a stage, DJ set, food trucks, and live performances filling the evening. The evening will begin at 6pm with a DJ set and food trucks, before live performances get underway at 8.30pm. Entry will be free; however, reservations are recommended via Montecarloticket.com or directly through the venue itself.
Created by Monaco’s Direction des Affaires Culturelles, Kaléido is dedicated to offering new experiences to younger audiences in the Principality. The upcoming event follows its summer concert featuring French singer Styleto at Fort Antoine.
THE SOPHS AND COPYCAT TAKE THE STAGE
California group The Sophs will headline the evening, bringing indie rock, pop-punk, funk, blues, and influences from the 1990s to the stage. The group recently released its debut album Goldstar and has continued to gain attention across the international rock scene.
Also taking the stage will be French pop-rock duo Copycat, formed by cousins Apolline and Zoé. The pair began making music together during a family meal and have since established themselves on the French music scene.
Their debut EP Morning Routine looks at topics relevant to life in your twenties, from relationships and body image to nights out and everyday struggles. They also incorporate dance, choreography and guitar solos into their performances.
The October event marks the latest step in Kaléido’s growing youth programme, bringing a new generation of artists and audiences into Monaco’s cultural spaces.
The Grimaldi Forum Monaco has been named Best Overseas Conference Centre at the 2026 M&IT Awards, securing Gold for the second consecutive year.
The Monaco venue shared first place with PortAventura Convention Centre at the awards ceremony in London on Friday 18th September. The Convention Centre Dublin received Silver, while the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya took Bronze.
Other finalists included the Barcelona International Convention Centre, Palma Congress Center and RAI Amsterdam.
The result brings the Grimaldi Forum’s total number of M&IT Awards to 21 since 2003, comprising 10 Gold, nine Silver and two Bronze awards.
Monaco performs strongly in London
The Principality recorded a broader success at the ceremony, with Visit Monaco Convention Bureau winning Gold in the Best Overseas Convention Bureau category.
The Fairmont Monte-Carlo was also among the finalists for Best Overseas Hotel, giving Monaco representation across three of the awards’ major international categories.
Together, the results recognise the different parts of Monaco’s business-tourism offer, from destination promotion and accommodation to the hosting of large international congresses and events.
Award decided by British event organisers
Voting in the Best Overseas Conference Centre category is restricted to professional event organisers based in the United Kingdom, with the results independently audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Grimaldi Forum Managing Director Sylvie Biancheri said the voting process made the second consecutive victory particularly significant.
“Winning Gold for the second year running has a very special value because this distinction comes directly from British event organisers,” she said. “It rewards the confidence of our clients and the daily commitment of all our teams.”
The latest award follows a significant year for the Grimaldi Forum. In 2025, the venue marked its 25th anniversary and expanded its event capacity with the opening of additional spaces as part of the Mareterra development.
Its 21 M&IT Awards collected over more than two decades also reflect the Grimaldi Forum’s sustained presence in the British events market, a strategically important source of international congresses and business tourism for Monaco.
MYS: Electric Ipharra leads Sunreef’s push into a new era of sailing
Sunreef Yachts unveiled the new 100 Eco Ipharra on the opening day of the Monaco Yacht Show, presenting a 100-foot electric sailing catamaran designed for extended family cruising, watersports and an unusual educational mission.
During a press conference attended by Monaco Life, Sunreef founder and president Francis Lapp joined the yacht’s owner to outline the thinking behind the project and reveal early details of a new sailing system being developed by the shipyard.
The Ipharra is equipped with electric propulsion and integrated solar technology, reflecting the owner’s demand for reduced fuel consumption and more environmentally responsible cruising. The 29.37-metre yacht has a beam of 12.9 metres and is listed by the Monaco Yacht Show at €14.5 million.
The owner is a longstanding Sunreef client who spent 15 years aboard the previous Ipharra. That experience helped shape the new yacht, particularly its larger living areas, improved access to the sea and facilities for diving and sailing dinghies.
“We really enjoyed the yacht, but there were things that could be improved, and we wanted to make full use of the progress Sunreef had made during those 15 years, particularly in terms of fuel consumption and environmental performance,” he said. “Because we use the boat with students, we also wanted a large outdoor area close to the sea that would be easy to use for diving and for the sailing dinghies.”
A superyacht with an educational role
The yacht will continue a programme established aboard the original Ipharra, hosting students from the owner’s family-run boarding school in Switzerland for periods at sea.
The students are introduced to sailing while continuing lessons in subjects including history and philosophy, effectively turning the yacht into a travelling classroom.
“They come away from this experience with unique memories of learning in a very unusual classroom,” the owner said. “For us, the boat is a real platform for giving those young people an opportunity to discover something new, and perhaps to find a passion.”
Demand shifts towards larger catamarans
Lapp said the Ipharra also reflects a wider change in the catamaran market. When Sunreef launched its first 74-foot model in the early 2000s, it was considered exceptionally large. Demand has since moved towards models of around 100 feet and beyond.
“The market has changed, along with the lifestyle of our clients,” he said. “They want to enjoy much more space at water level, as well as the stability on board and the comfort it provides for a family.”
Sunreef has expanded its production infrastructure in response to the growing demand for larger multihulls.
Five-minute sail deployment
The shipyard also used the press conference to preview a new sailing system intended to address a common problem: sailing-yacht owners often use their sails only for long passages because conventional deployment can be time-consuming.
“We noticed that many boats were not using their sails very often,” a Sunreef technical representative said. “In normal day-to-day use, they were often not deployed because the operation took too much time.”
Developed with a partner in Spain, the system is intended to make sails available for use in approximately five minutes. Sunreef said it could be deployed while the yacht is at anchor or potentially in the marina, while its 360-degree rotation is designed to reduce handling difficulties and risk.
“Our objective was to create something quick, easy and reliable, without sacrificing performance,” the representative said. “Safety comes first, followed by efficiency.”
Sunreef did not disclose the system’s full technical specifications in Monaco, saying further details would be released later.
On Monday 21st September, Prince Albert II travelled into the rugged hinterland of the Alpes-Maritimes for an official visit to Aiglun and Puget-Théniers, two communities with profound historical connections to the Princely Family as part of the ‘Historic Sites of the Grimaldi of Monaco’ network.
The first part of the journey brought the Sovereign Prince to Aiglun—a village perched in the Estéron valley—where he inspected the striking 14th-century troglodyte fortress of the Château d’Aiglun, accompanied by Mayor Anthony Salomone.
Photo Credit: Michaël Alesi / Palais princier
Preserving the cliffside heritage of Aiglun
Prince Albert II has actively championed the preservation, restoration, and promotion of this dramatic cliffside heritage site, which served as a medieval refuge. The restoration was notably supported by Stéphane Bern’s Mission du Patrimoine.
During the visit, the Prince and the mayor unveiled a dedicated plaque recognising Aiglun as a ‘Historic Site of the Grimaldi of Monaco’. Following the tour, he attended an official civic ceremony outside the village town hall, meeting with local officials, residents, and figures such as former football international Youri Djorkaeff, who has local ties.
Inaugurating new community spaces in Puget-Théniers
The Prince then headed to Puget-Théniers—guided by Mayor Pierre Corporandy—where a major highlight of the visit was the dedication of a local sports complex proudly bearing his name.
Beyond the inauguration ceremony, the Prince took time to walk through the town, greet the gathered crowds, and explore several key architectural and historical landmarks of the ancient city, which was once a focal point during conflicts between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire.
Photo credit: Michaël Alesi / Palais princier
A shared history across the mountains
Blending heritage preservation with modern community engagement, the visit underscored the enduring cultural and historical bonds uniting the Principality of Monaco with these mountain territories, tracing back to the legacy of the Grimaldi branch of Beuil.
