United Arab Emirates yacht charter
A winter charter of city skyline, desert islands and beach days, often a few days rather than a week. November to April is the season; December to February the most popular. It suits friends and celebrations most.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are a winter destination. From late autumn to spring, when the Mediterranean is closed for the season, some of its large yachts come here, and the weather is warm and settled. A charter here is different from a Greek or Croatian week. It is less about island-hopping and more about the city skyline from the water, desert islands, beach days and celebrations, often over a few days rather than a full week. The UAE is where most of our Middle East and Red Sea charters happen.
Why go, and whom it suits
Friends and celebrations
This is where the UAE is strongest. New Year's Eve off the Dubai skyline, birthdays and anniversaries, and dinners on deck with the city lit up.
Families
Winter sun within a short flight of many cities, calm water, beach days and the desert islands off Abu Dhabi. It suits a few days on board alongside a stay ashore.
Couples and honeymoons
Sunset off the Palm, a night at anchor off an island in Abu Dhabi's waters, and the quiet of Sir Bani Yas in the far west, where private boats dock at the island's moorings.
Less suited to a classic week of a new harbour every night. The coast is long and the anchorages are few compared with the Mediterranean.
The areas
Dubai
Dubai Marina, the Palm Jumeirah, the World Islands, and the skyline from the sea. It is mainly for day trips and evenings, and the best place to start.
Abu Dhabi
Saadiyat and Yas islands, the mangroves, and further west the islands of the gulf, including Sir Bani Yas, more than half of it given to wildlife conservation.
When to go
- November to April is the season. Days are warm and the sea is pleasant.
- December to February is the coolest, and the most popular. New Year is the peak.
- May to October is hot and humid, and charters then are rare.
- The water is calm most days. On the windier ones the captain keeps to sheltered water.
Months | Weather and sea | Crowds | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
November, March and April | Warm days, a pleasant sea | Quieter than midwinter | Inside the season |
December to February | The coolest months | The most popular | New Year is the peak; Christmas and New Year cost more |
May to October | Hot and humid | Charters are rare | Outside the season |
What it costs
The charter fee is each yacht's own rate. Her page shows it "from". In the UAE, charters are often for a day or a few days, and shorter than a week is possible on many yachts, priced per day from the weekly rate.
- VAT, at the UAE rate of 5%, is added where it applies to the charter, and each yacht's quote shows it.
- APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, is paid with the balance. It is money held by the captain for fuel, food, drinks, berths and similar costs, spent on your instructions and accounted for at the end; anything unspent is returned. Budget up to 40% of the charter fee for it; long or remote passages can need more.
- Christmas and New Year usually need at least 7 nights on board and cost more, so plan them well in advance.
Our guide sets out what a crewed charter costs, line by line.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi
A week on board in the UAE is a slower mix of the city and the islands. The yacht, the weather and the permits decide the real route.
- Day 1: Dubai Marina. Board in the afternoon and cruise past the Palm and the skyline at dusk.
- Day 2: Dubai. A beach morning off the Palm, a day ashore if you like, and dinner on board facing the city.
- Day 3: South along the coast. A longer passage towards Abu Dhabi, with lunch on board.
- Day 4: Abu Dhabi. Saadiyat and its beaches, and the city's museums ashore.
- Day 5: The mangroves and the islands. Kayaks or paddleboards in the mangroves, and a quiet anchorage for the night, where the local rules allow.
- Day 6: Yas and the return north. A morning on Yas, then back towards Dubai.
- Day 7: Dubai. Disembark.
Many people take three or four days on board instead, and spend the rest of the week ashore.
The yachts that cruise here
The yachts we show in the UAE are large: mostly motor yachts over 40 metres, for 11 or more guests. Many of them are Mediterranean yachts that come for the winter. We look across the market for every UAE enquiry. The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Is a whole week on board the best way to see the UAE?
Not always. Many people book a few days on board with a hotel stay. We will tell you honestly which suits your group.
Can we drink alcohol on board?
Ask us about the particular yacht, and we tell you what she allows. Ashore, hotels serve alcohol, and during Ramadan its sale is restricted to after dusk.
Are there rules for dress or behaviour ashore?
Yes. Swimwear is fine at beaches, pools and resorts; in other public places, clothes that cover the shoulders and knees are recommended, more so during Ramadan.
What about Ramadan?
Its dates follow the lunar calendar and move each year. During it, non-Muslims are asked not to eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight, alcohol is sold only after dusk, and live music and dancing stop. Tell us your dates, and we say how they affect the trip.
Can we charter for less than a week?
Yes. Shorter than a week is possible on many yachts, priced per day from the weekly rate.
Is the water good for swimming in winter?
Yes. The UAE is warm and sunny through the winter.
How far ahead should we plan New Year?
As early as you can: it is the night most groups ask about first. Tell us your plans, and we check with the yachts that fit.
Do we need a visa?
Citizens of many countries, among them the UK, the US and much of Europe, get a free entry visa on arrival; others apply before they travel. Check the rule for your passport before you go.
If you are also weighing the Caribbean
Both are winter destinations. The Caribbean is a sailing world of islands, beaches and anchorages. The UAE is shorter, more about the city and celebrations, and closer to Europe and Asia. See the Caribbean.
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family summer, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.