With a clear focus on inspiring sustainability and innovation, Monaco Marina Management’s GCC Smart Yachting Days in Dubai last month attracted a strong turnout of key players from across the Gulf and its maritime sectors, who agreed that there was a growing need to “collaborate, communicate and educate at all levels in the region”.  

Hosted by the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina on 28th and 29th February, Monaco Marina Management was able to export its view on “smart ideas, smart yachting, smart marinas and smart ownership” to the UAE and involve a much wider audience in its discussions than has been possible at previous events.

It proved the ideal setting from which to explore the latest and greatest advances and ideas coming out of not just the Principality of Monaco, but the world of yachting as a whole.  

SUSTAINABILITY, INVESTMENT AND ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT 

Sustainability was the buzzword of the event, which placed a strong emphasis on the need to foster responsible practices across the board, from owners and crew to service providers and the ports themselves.

The advantageous involvement of environmental foundations was also presented as a method of helping marinas and their management set and achieve targets for future eco-friendly systems alongside the importance of involving local communities in proactive projects to reduce waste and environmental impacts.  

Another key topic was the need to “refocus” investors’ mindsets and convince them of the long-term financial and environmental benefits of investing in smart marinas.

Monaco Marina Management also used the event to unveil the new M3 Smart Marina certification, which has been designed to measure smart and efficient marina operations, with the ultimate goals of reducing and optimising overall sustainability at all levels of the marina, from its initial conception to its construction and real-time operations. 

AWARDS CEREMONY 

Finally, start-ups Arkhaus, BatteryCheck, Boatmate, JetCycle, Posseidon, Seares and Ship O’Hoi were among those given an opportunity to present their ideas at the event, with a chance of winning a GCC Smart Yachting Days Award.  

In the end, Expedition Zero, represented by Andrew Cowen, won the 2024 GCC Smart Yachting Days Yachting prize thanks to the company’s net-zero adventure tourism concepts. 

Camille Lopez, representing HY-Plugs, won the GCC Smart Yachting Days Marina Award. Her company is actively involved in the maritime energy transition.  

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Photo courtesy of Monaco Marina Management