One of the world's largest megayachts calls at Malaga port

The last time it came to Malaga, in May 2023, the megayacht Yas was moored parallel to Muelle Uno (pier one). It is so big that it put a majority of the shops, bars and restaurants of this busy commercial and leisure area of Malaga city in the shade.

On this occasion, the floating colossus, one of the longest in the world at 141 metres, has been moored inside the safety zone of the Levante dock, given that the megayacht marina is at 100 per cent occupancy. It will therefore be difficult for yachting enthusiasts to see it.

Although the purpose of the stopover in Malaga is unknown, and for how long, it was clear that some external work was being carried out on the exterior and communications systems by several operators, with the help of a lifting platform from the dock. Therefore, everything points to it being a technical stop.

The ship was initially built in 1978 as a frigate of the Dutch navy, the HNLMS Piet Hein. It was subsequently sold to the United Arab Emirates Navy for military use, and named Al Emirat, according to information available on various specialised nautical websites.

Between 2011 and 2015, the frigate underwent a complete refit at ADM shipyards in Abu Dhabi to become today's private superyacht Yas. Its exterior is striking not only for its size, but also for the distinctive sky-blue colour of its decks and its large glass front window. It can accommodate more than 60 passengers and 56 crew. Among its main features, it has a heliport, several swimming pools, a spa and, above all, the most advanced high-tech navigation and safety systems.

The boat belongs to Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, so it can be considered the official yacht of the Emirati crown. Known as Fazza, the 41-year-old prince is very active on social media, where he has more than 12 million followers. His snapshots give an insight into his day-to-day luxury life in Dubai.