The 180-metre mega yacht Azzam has been spotted in Gibraltar after completing her refit at the MB92 shipyard in Spain. She is the world's largest luxury yacht (by length) and also boasts an impressive build time for a yacht of her size, with construction taking only three years after one year of engineering.
She was built and by Lurssen in Germany and delivered to her Emirati owner in 2013. With a beam of 20.8 m and a draft of 4.3 m, she has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. This adds up to a gross tonnage of 13136 tons. Azzam is powered by engines of 23,500 hp each giving her a maximum speed of 30 knots.
Her exterior was designed by Italian Nauta Design whereas. Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta Design commented:
Azzam features balanced, modern architecture composed of straight lines and proportional volumes, which are some of the main design principles of Nauta Design.
French designer Christophe Leoni conceived her stylish interior. Lurssen describes the interior by Christophe Leoni as “sophisticated, with luxurious decor inspired by the Empire style of the early 19th century”. The vessel can accommodate up to 36 guests and a crew of 60.
Despite her size, she has a top speed of 31.5 knots due to her twin MTU 20V 8000 M91 engines with 12,205hp each. Azzam breaks new ground in many ways, in terms of her technology, dimensions, and spectacular performance.
After her launch, the superyacht broke the record previously held by the Eclipse, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.