At the time of her launch in 2013, 180m Azzam was both the longest and biggest yacht in the world – a crown she was to wear for six years. It was only the launch of expedition vessel REV Ocean in late 2019 that pushed Azzam into second place, while her huge volume of 13,136GT is only eclipsed by Dilbar (2016).
In her livery of pure white paint, Azzam remains one of the world’s most impressive yachts. She was built by Lürssen for the Emir of Abu Dhabi to an initial concept from Emirati engineer Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi. Astonishingly, given her size and extreme complexity, she took just three years to build.
“She truly represents another milestone in not only our history, but yachting history as well," said Lürssen managing partner Peter Lürssen proudly, just before she hit the water.
And yet, despite her extraordinary dimensions, this was a yacht initially designed to measure “just” 145m overall. Designer Mario Pedol of Nauta Yachts says that the boat grew as the brief progressed. He was responsible for her sleek exterior styling, maintaining elegant proportions, and takes it as a compliment when people say that Azzam doesn’t look her full 180m.
The exterior lines look just as modern today as they did when she was built. Naturally enough, the owner wanted a “timeless” design – something Pedol has certainly delivered. “Azzam features balanced, modern architecture composed of straight lines and proportional volumes, which are some of the main design principles of Nauta Design,” Pedol told Boat International. At the time of commission, the studio’s biggest design was the 90m Light 90, whose design is said to have inspired Azzam.
Interior design work was commissioned from renowned French designer Christophe Leoni, to a brief that called for a turn-of-the-century Empire style. He is better known for his architectural work, and had already worked on some of the Emir’s homes. Back in 2013, he admitted: “Though yachting is not my main area of business, I thoroughly enjoyed the cooperation with Nauta and Lürssen.”
Detail of the yacht’s interior is still a closely guarded secret, although it is believed to mirror the Emir’s homes. Wooden furniture is very much in evidence, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and intricate marquetry. Amongst many other features, the yacht’s interior boasts a vast main salon measuring 29m long and running the full 18m beam of the boat. It is an entirely open-plan space engineered such that there are no pillars. It also offers a “golf practice room” among its fitness facilities.
Engineering was a big part of this project and tested the Lürssen team to the maximum. The yacht had to remain comfortable in the warm waters and high temperatures of the Gulf region. She also required an unusually shallow draft of 4.3m for ease of manoeuvring. That meant the use of pump jets instead of propellers. But the brief also called for speed, and so Azzam is specced with twin gas turbines and twin diesels for a combined output of 94,000hp. It’s enough to get this huge vessel up to more than 30 knots!
Azzam in numbers
LOA: 180m
Beam: 20.80m
Draft: 4.30m
Guests: 36
Crew: 70-80
Engines: 2x 26MW gas turbines, 2x 9MW MTU diesel engines
Top speed: 33 knots
Builder: Lürssen
Designer (ext): Nauta Yachts
Designer (int): Christophe Leoni