VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MARINE CLUB SAID HAREB - LEGENDARY PERSONALITY REVIVING IN THE EMIRATE OF TRADITION OF PRIMORSKY LIFESTYLE. THANKS TO HIM A SMALL COZY HARBOR MINA SEYAHI IN THE “NEW” DUBAI TURNED INTO THE WORLD FAMOUS WATER SPORTS AND RECREATION CENTER AND BECAME A GOOD SALE. Interviewed by Natalia Remmer
In an interview with Russian Emirates, a senior adviser to the ship exhibition spoke about the transformation of Dubai and new opportunities for the development of yachting tourism.
Your Excellency, you have been a professional athlete for a long time. Why did you decide to devote yourself to the sea?
Said Khareb: We can say that I'm back to the roots. Both of my grandfathers were connected with the sea: one, on the maternal side, drove dhow boats to the pearl craft, to the border with Qatar, the second was a judge on maritime affairs, sorted litigations between sea merchants. I served in the army, then, as you know, I was the manager of the national football team, but at the end of the 80s, it was decided to start developing water sports in Dubai - this was the first marine club Mina Seyahi, on the site of which is now solid a harbor with 300 marinas, which hosts more than 50 maritime competitions per year.
How did marine evolution take place in Dubai?
Said Khareb: For more than two centuries, Dubai has been a city by the sea. The center of life was the Dubai Creek. When the emirate lived off the extraction of pearls, moorings were used by fishing and merchant ships.
And today, the development of maritime trade continues - we can trace it on the example of the port of Rashid and one of the largest in the world - Jebel Ali.
With the beginning of the oil era, boats began to be used for sports and recreation. Moreover, in the Emirates began to build ships and yachts of a new type - one of the founders of the new shipbuilding was the Gulf Craft shipyard, which appeared in 1982. Today, in almost every emirate, primarily in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, you can find world-class harbors, including those designed for mooring megayachts. And these are not just marinas - these are real sea clubs, with restaurants, entertainment and sports centers.
Each coastal city has its own special traditions - for example, a sea festival or regatta. How's it going 
In Dubai? Do you plan to establish a Sea Day?
Said Khareb: Back in 1992, Dubai hosted the first international championship in water-motor sports. We have a traditional Al Jaffal race on historic Dhow boats. We took the Louis Vuitton Sea Cup. So there are plenty of marine festivals in Dubai. As for the Sea Day, it is possible that such a holiday will appear in the near future, but for now we have been holding Sea Week, the Dubai International Yacht Show, for 24 years.
You are the senior adviser of the show. What are your impressions of the next parade of yachts?
Said Khareb: The scale is impressive. This year 843 exhibitors took part in the show. I have seen many visitors and buyers from Asia, Australia, America, the Middle East. Dubai has become the best trading platform for both boats and marine equipment - everyone is eager to come here. For five days, the exhibition was visited by more than 25 thousand people.
What are the preferences of customers this year?
Said Khareb: Most buyers know exactly what they are looking for: the purpose of the boat, the manufacturer, and the climate. All come with their advisers, communicate with manufacturers and dealers, find out the details. After all, we are talking about a lot of money. No deals are made at the show itself. As a rule, after the exhibition, buyers meet with sellers again, take a boat for a test drive. On average, negotiations to buy a yacht take about six months.
Do you think that in the near future Dubai will be able to compete with the Caribbean and the Mediterranean for the title of yacht tourism center?
Said Khareb: We are already fighting. Today in the Emirates - more than 30 thousand yachts. 193 megayachts, or 12% of the total number in the world, belong to the inhabitants of the Middle East. The average length of yachts in the region is 63 meters, more than anywhere else in the world. The yacht tourism industry will be significantly pushed forward by the opening of the Dubai Canal and the completion of artificial islands such as The World archipelago and The Palm Deira island - this is not only about private vessels, but also about tourist boats, water taxis. 
How do the inhabitants of the Emirates spend time at sea?
Said Khareb: Many travel to Lunar Island, it is about 70 km from the coast of Dubai. As a rule, they spend one night fishing or spend a weekend on a yacht with their family.
What can you advise to tourists who want to arrive in Dubai on their own yacht?
Said Khareb: First of all, you need to contact the Dubai Maritime Authority and go through registration, then find a suitable pier. And then enjoy all the delights of Dubai and its islands.
