NEOM has announced a partnership with leading global superyacht provider, Burgess, to offer its full suite of services ahead of the 2024 opening of Sindalah, NEOM's first luxury island and yacht club destination in the Red Sea.

The agreement supports NEOM’s vision of nurturing Sindalah into a global yachting destination, and offers guests a comprehensive range of services to cater for their yachting needs.  

Located off the coast of NEOM in north-west Saudi Arabia, Sindalah will be the first of NEOM’s assets to be unveiled and will offer guests an idyllic luxury lifestyle. Home to one of the world-leading yachting ecosystems, Sindalah marina aims to become a new hub and fixture in the global yachting calendar.

As part of the agreement, Burgess will provide a broad range of luxury services to elevate Sindalah’s global yachting offering. Services include yacht management, charter and charter management, sales and purchase, yacht insurance, new build and refit projects, yacht marketing and procurement.

Commenting on the partnership, Antoni Vives, Chief Urban Development, and Islands Officer at NEOM, said: “We’re committed to becoming a distinctive yachting destination, and deliver world-class services to guests and yachts visiting the Red Sea. We recognize chartering as a critical aspect of the yachting experience.

“Many of our guests visiting Sindalah will be looking forward to experiencing a nautical lifestyle through chartering a yacht. Also, yacht owners and managers will be happy to offer their prized possessions for chartering in the Red Sea. Our partnership with Burgess will help us to ensure that this critical activity is enabled at Sindalah from the time of launch.”

The demand for superyacht services in the region has grown exponentially over the past decade, triggering the decision for Burgess to establish a Middle East presence back in 2016.

The company is now perfectly positioned to provide Sindalah guests with the very best in class when it comes to all their yachting needs. From arranging bespoke superyacht charters, to managing the logistics of chartering your yacht out in the Red Sea, Burgess has the expertise to ensure a smooth experience for all involved.

Jonathan Hind, Managing Director, Burgess Middle East, said: “We are very excited to be a part of this new development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at NEOM. Sindalah will offer superyacht clientele everything they want and need for a fantastic experience, and we will be on hand to make this happen.”

NEOM and Burgess also acknowledges the critical support provided by Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) in enabling this partnership. SRSA, the key enabler and regulator of Red Sea coastal tourism activities with sustainability at their core, issued yachting-friendly regulations in 2023 that included the Large Yachts Chartering Regulation and Visiting Private Yachts Regulation.

SRSA aims to facilitate smoother customer journeys for marine operators and practitioners while also protecting and preserving the Red Sea environment by deploying technology to facilitate permits and licensing, regulating coastal tourism activities, supporting investments, and defining infrastructure requirements, alongside other responsibilities. – TradeArabia News Service