The 32nd Dubai International Boat Show takes place from 25 to 29 November 2026 at Dubai Harbour, closing out the international show calendar for the year.
If your season started at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September, this is where it ends - and for a growing number of owners and brokers, it has become the part of the calendar that matters most.
Dates and opening hours
The show runs for five days, and the timings are worth noting because they are unlike those of any other major show:
- Wednesday 25 November: 15:00 - 20:00
- Thursday 26 November: 15:00 - 20:00
- Friday 27 November: 15:00 - 21:00
- Saturday 28 November: 15:00 - 21:00
- Sunday 29 November: 15:00 - 20:00
Dubai does not open its doors at ten in the morning. The show begins in the afternoon and runs into the evening, with the two late nights falling on Friday and Saturday.
It is a small detail that changes the whole character of the event. Cannes and Monaco are daytime shows built around appointments; Dubai is an evening show, with the docks lit, the temperature down, and a social rhythm closer to a long dinner than a trade fair. Business still gets done. It simply gets done after dark.
What is on display
The organisers report more than 1,000 brands, over 200 boats and watercraft on display, and 60 global and regional launches across the five days. At the 2025 edition, the combined value of the boats on show reached AED 3.1 billion.
Dubai Harbour itself is a significant part of the draw. Its marina has berths for superyachts up to 160 metres - a capability very few show venues in the world can match, and one of the reasons the Gulf has been able to build an event at this scale so quickly.
The show zones
The show is organised into distinct areas, and knowing them in advance saves a lot of walking:
- Superyacht Avenue - the headline display, where the largest yachts are berthed and where most serious brokerage conversations happen.
- Marina Display - boats in the water across the wider harbour.
- Marine Luxury & Lifestyle - the wider world around yachting: watches, art, interiors, aviation.
- Marine Gadgets & Equipment (ESS Expo) - equipment, systems and suppliers.
- Dive Zone (Dive MENA Expo) - diving and the underwater world, with a dedicated dive pool.
- Innovation Zone - marine technology and sustainability.
- Port of Call by the Italian Trade Agency - a dedicated Italian pavilion. Italy builds roughly half of the world's superyachts, so this is one of the more substantial national presences at any show.
Alongside these are the Captains & Crew Lounge, watersports, Captains Night by Orbius, and the VIP Lounge and Privé Lounge.
Why the move to November changes things
For most of its history, the Dubai International Boat Show was held in February or March, and the 2026 edition was first planned for April. The organisers then moved it to November, to coincide with the start of the Gulf boating season, and it will now be held every November. The move did more than shift a date - it repositioned the show entirely.
The international calendar now runs in a clean arc: Cannes in early September, the Monaco Yacht Show at the end of that month, Fort Lauderdale at the end of October, and Dubai to close in November. Four shows, three continents, one season.
More importantly, November is the start of the Gulf cruising season, not the end of it. A yacht shown in Dubai in late November is shown to buyers at exactly the moment they are thinking about the winter ahead - the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean. In Cannes you sell a Mediterranean summer. In Dubai you sell a winter that begins next week.
That timing also makes Dubai genuinely complementary to the Mediterranean shows rather than competitive with them: a different season, different cruising grounds and a substantially different buyer pool.
A note on the audience
The Gulf has built one of the fastest-growing concentrations of yacht ownership in the world, and Dubai sits at the centre of it - a city with no personal income tax, serious marine infrastructure, access to the Indian Ocean, and a steady flow of international wealth relocating there permanently rather than visiting.
For a European brokerage, that is the real argument for being there. The yachts are familiar. The buyers are not.
Divo Yacht in Dubai: M/Y Valkyrie
One of our listings is already in Dubai. M/Y Valkyrie, a 2024 Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 and one of a limited series of only 63 hulls, is lying in Dubai, where she has been since delivery. She has twin MAN V12 engines, a 60-knot top speed, a carbon-fibre-rich build and a cockpit taken directly from Lamborghini's hypercar design language.
She is offered at EUR 4,200,000, Dubai duties paid, with Divo Yacht and Mare Port Digital as joint CA Brokers (CA - Central Agreement). The full specification, photo gallery and brochure are on the Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 listing, and our introduction to M/Y Valkyrie tells the story of the series. You can also browse our other Tecnomar yachts for sale and sport yachts for sale.
If you are in Dubai for the show and would like to see her, we can arrange a private viewing.
Practical information
- Venue: Dubai Harbour, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Dates: 25 - 29 November 2026
- Edition: 32nd
- Organiser: Dubai World Trade Centre
- Tickets: official Dubai International Boat Show website
Boat owners, captains, trade professionals, divers and accredited media can register online for free entry, subject to approval: owners are asked for a boat registration card and captains for a captain's licence. Other visitors buy their tickets through the official website.
Dubai Harbour sits between Palm Jumeirah and Bluewaters Island, around 25 minutes by road from Dubai International Airport outside of traffic, and considerably less from Dubai Marina. Parking is available on site, but on the Friday and Saturday evenings a taxi is the better decision.
Planning to attend?
If you are planning to attend, or would like to arrange a viewing of M/Y Valkyrie, write to info@divoyacht.com, or call or message us on WhatsApp at +39 338 994 3994. Our offices are in Imperia and Ventimiglia on the Italian Riviera.
When is the Dubai International Boat Show 2026?
The Dubai International Boat Show 2026, the show's 32nd edition, takes place from 25 to 29 November 2026 at Dubai Harbour in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
What are the opening hours of the Dubai International Boat Show 2026?
The Dubai International Boat Show 2026 opens at 15:00 every day. It closes at 20:00 on Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 and Sunday 29 November, and at 21:00 on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November.
Where is Dubai Harbour?
Dubai Harbour, the venue of the Dubai International Boat Show, sits between Palm Jumeirah and Bluewaters Island, around 25 minutes by road from Dubai International Airport outside of traffic. Its marina has berths for superyachts up to 160 metres.
How many boats are on display at the Dubai International Boat Show?
The organisers of the Dubai International Boat Show 2026 report more than 1,000 brands, over 200 boats and watercraft on display and 60 global and regional launches. The boats on show at the 2025 edition were worth a combined AED 3.1 billion.
How do I get tickets for the Dubai International Boat Show 2026?
Tickets for the Dubai International Boat Show 2026 are sold through the official show website, boatshowdubai.com. Boat owners, captains, trade professionals, divers and accredited media can register there for free entry, subject to approval.
Why did the Dubai International Boat Show move to November?
The Dubai International Boat Show moved to November to coincide with the start of the Gulf boating season. For most of its history the show was held in February or March.
Can I view M/Y Valkyrie during the Dubai International Boat Show?
Yes. M/Y Valkyrie, a 2024 Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 offered at EUR 4,200,000 with Dubai duties paid, is lying in Dubai, and Divo Yacht can arrange a private viewing during the Dubai International Boat Show 2026. Contact info@divoyacht.com or +39 338 994 3994.