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AL LUSAIL Yacht – World-class $500M Superyacht

The AL LUSAIL yacht owner is reportedly purchased the vessel for US $500 million.

Considered the 26th largest yacht in the world, the AL LUSAIL yacht is an impressive vessel built by the German shipyard Luerssen and launched in 2017.

She is 123 meters (404 ft) long and belongs to the owner.

AL LUSAIL yacht interior

The interior of AL LUSAIL was planned by the English Design House March & White , who work on high-end, luxury projects.

The owner of AL LUSAIL has not released a lot of information about the interior of his superyacht.

Few details about the exact furnishings are known, but the design style has been described as eclectic.

The yacht is said to have a large central atrium which lets in a lot of natural light in the interior.

The AL LUSAIL yacht can accommodate 36 guests and 56 crew members, although her exact cabin layout is not known.

She apparently has an elaborate spa and beauty area as well as a large gym and several indoor pools.

Everything on the interior of the yacht was custom-designed for AL LUSAIL and equipped with only the highest standard of materials.

AL LUSAIL yacht specifications

The AL LUSAIL yacht is 123 meters (404 ft) long with a 20-meter (65.7 ft) beam and a 5.5-meter (18.1 ft) draft.

She is powered by twin MTU engines which allow her to reach top speeds of 15 knots despite her 8,489-ton weight.

AL LUSAIL comfortably cruises at 12 knots and has a total range of more than 4,500 nautical miles.

The vessel has a large aluminum superstructure, steel hull, and teak decks.

AL LUSAIL yacht Exterior

The London-based design company H2 Yacht Design is responsible for the exterior design of the AL LUSAIL yacht.

She is an all-white yacht with a sleek design and a lot of windows.

On the aft, AL LUSAIL features a large beach club with an extendable swimming platform.

Her high-end underwater lighting system perfectly illuminates the yacht in the evenings.

At the bow, the yacht has a sizable helipad where even larger aircraft can land easily, allowing guests to arrive and depart comfortably.

Her remaining decks provide ample seating and entertaining space for her guests.

AL LUSAIL yacht Price

The AL LUSAIL yacht owner reportedly paid a total price of US $500 million.

She generates additional annual running costs of US $25 to 50 million and is currently not available for charter.

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Al Mirqab: The Sheikh of Qatar Sails to Skiathos

Al Mirqab: According to a report from Protothema, the Sheikh of Qatar and former Prime Minister of the Emirate Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani has sailed aboard his luxury yacht “Al Mirqab” to his beloved Skiathos Island.

Sheikh Al Thani’s arrival aboard the 133-meter long mega-yacht at the Bay of Maratha, a Blue Flag marina opposite the fabulous “Skiathos Palace” hotel, created something of a sensation among the locals.

Acording to the report, the sheikh has taken extraordinary meaures to ensure the health and safety of the locals, himself, and his crewe during the vacation visit. The 50 crew members were tested for COVID-19 before it sailed into the clear blue waters of the Aegean sea.

Based on sources, there is a permanent medical staff on the yacht as well as a molecular analyzer so that continuous tests can be performed.

Sheikh Al Thani and his family arrived at Skiathos after having visited at Flisvos Marina in Athens. Skiathos Island, located in the Sporades archipelago, is known to be among the family’s most favorite vacation destinations.

The luxury yacht Al Mirqab is one of the largest motor yachts ever built. This steel luxury yacht can accomodate 24 guests in 10 guest suites, with 2 VIP suites for the owner. Each suite has it’s own bathroom, living room and double bedroom, and the yacht also accomodates 55 members of crew, now that should just prove how big this yacht really is.

Not only does this luxury yacht have suites, it also offers amenities such as a cinema, outside bars, an indoor swimming pool and outdoor jacuzzi, spots to sunbathe, as well as a helipad.

If you’re wondering how fast a yacht of this size can go, the Al Mirqab can cruise at 18.7 knots with a maximum speed of 20.3 knots.

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The true story of the heartthrob prince of Qatar and his time at USC

When a Qatari sheikh came to live in L.A., an entire economy sprouted to meet his wishes. “His highness doesn’t like to hear no,” one associate told a professor.

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Los Angeles has long enjoyed a reputation as a playground for the rich, but the handsome teenage prince who arrived nine years ago operated on a different level.

He came from the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar on a private jet with a squad of servants, a bottomless natural gas fortune and the stated goal of a college education. He installed himself in the Beverly Wilshire, the hotel that “Pretty Woman” made famous, and embarked on a lifestyle that few undergraduates could imagine — luxury suites for Lakers games, lunch at the Ivy and regular excursions to gamble in Las Vegas.

He took the town with an entourage, a rotating collection of cousins and friends from back home, in a fleet of exotic sports cars, rubbing elbows with a flashy set that included Scott Disick of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” and announcing his exuberance in custom trucker hats emblazoned with his initials: KHK.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the son and, later, brother of Qatar’s emir, eventually graduated from the University of Southern California and returned to the Middle East. He became an officer in the country’s internal security service and has cultivated an image as a jet-setting heartthrob. His Instagram account, with more than a million followers, has featured the dashing, goateed royal yachting, driving priceless autos, skydiving, and occasionally cuddling with baby tigers.

His college years in L.A. were a closed chapter in a colorful life, and they probably would have stayed that way were it not for a series of indictments last year by federal prosecutors in Boston. The charges in the college admissions scandal did not involve Al Thani or his family, but the high-profile prosecution, with its allegations of wealthy parents scheming to get underqualified offspring into USC and other universities prompted some who knew the prince to reconsider the circumstances of his education. Shortly thereafter, The Times received a tip to look into his college degree.

From the moment Al Thani stepped off the plane, an entire economy quickly grew up around him to meet his wishes and whims: chauffeurs, a security detail, concierges, trainers, a nurse, an all-purpose fixer and even, according to several USC faculty members , a graduate student who served as his academic “sherpa.”

Before he started classes, a billionaire trustee arranged a private meeting between the university president and the prince’s mother, and once he arrived, the institution showered him with special treatment.

He was allowed to blow off class for dubious “security reasons” as an undergrad, then was handed a master’s degree for a period in which he took several vacations in Europe and never stepped foot on campus.

His enablers went to extraordinary lengths to keep him happy: Forging documents, flouting university rules, plying a UCLA dean with a golden camel statue, giving a Rolex to a professor and even, accounting records and interviews indicate, buying a $500 gift for a DMV employee in an effort to secure a coveted vanity plate.

The government of Qatar did not answer requests to interview the prince, now 28; his mother — an internationally renowned educational philanthropist; or others connected with his stay in L.A. A New York attorney representing the prince, David G. Keyko, did not answer dozens of questions submitted in writing. In a letter to The Times, he said, “Your research thus far has turned up suspicions, suppositions and multiple levels of hearsay about matters that, if they took place at all, happened years ago.”

This week, Max Shulklapper, a spokesman for the prince, said the questions The Times raised were racially insensitive, “if not outright bigoted”: “Would you be asking these questions if a white student allegedly did not show up to his college class, or was pulled over for speeding? Would you ask these questions if a white student’s parent allegedly donated money to a university toward its betterment?”

The prince was raised in a family that prized higher education. His mother, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, is a world-renowned advocate for university learning who established an enormous college complex in Qatar. His father, Hamad, who served as emir until 2013, attended the British military academy Sandhurst, and his older siblings went to elite universities including Harvard, Duke and Georgetown.

The youngest boy in the family wanted something different — a college education in the sun-kissed city that has long been a vacation destination for Middle Easterners.

L.A. may have appealed to the prince’s laid-back style. While his mother dressed in couture and his father in tailored suits or the traditional Qatari thobe , he often wore backwards ball caps, beanies, athletic shorts and hoodies.

He began his academic sojourn in February 2011 in a place about as far from the palaces of his youth as one could imagine, L.A. Mission College.

A community college set among the tract homes of Sylmar, Mission has an overwhelmingly Latino and low-income student body. Nearly 60% of students are considered “food insecure,” and more than 1 in 10 are homeless.

Why the prince chose Mission is unclear. The campus was 25 miles from the Beverly Wilshire, where he lived, and the drive, largely along a notoriously clogged stretch of the 405, could take more than an hour one way. There were at least nine community colleges closer to the hotel, and they offered nearly the same courses.

Al Thani signed up for classes along with two cousins in his entourage, Nasser and Jabr. After the first day at Mission, the prince rarely attended class, said former chauffeur Martin Agabus and another employee who, like many of the prince’s ex-staffers, spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve future job prospects.

International students were rare there — less than 2% held student visas — and Middle Easterners were particularly uncommon, the faculty and staff said. Yet faculty and staff contacted by The Times said they were unaware that Qatari royals were among them.

Even in Beverly Hills, where rich people with money to burn are about as common as valet stands and brow lifts, the prince’s wealth was notable.

Since the 19th century, his family has ruled the tiny nation of Qatar, one of the world’s richest countries on a per capita basis. It sits atop vast natural gas and oil reserves, generating billions in annual proceeds. With their fortune, the Al Thanis have purchased iconic hotels, a French soccer team, Miramax film studio, a Sardinian resort, thoroughbreds, yachts and masterpieces of art. In L.A., the family sank more than $300 million into constructing a Bel-Air hilltop compound anchored by a 77,000-square-foot mansion.

When the prince arrived in L.A., Qatar laid out for a small army of servants to attend to him, including one man who made his tea and another who prepared his hookah.

“We thought we were gods. We were making so much.”

— David Sajasi, Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car partner who oversaw the prince’s account

At the Beverly Wilshire, his butlers lived in $600-a-night rooms and the half-dozen chauffeurs and security guards dined in the hotel restaurant, where a cheeseburger ran $30. The prince and his friends stayed in suites with views of Rodeo Drive.

The task of paying the bills fell to an American who lingered on the edge of the prince’s entourage.

Joseph Jourieh, 60, had a number of official titles at Qatar’s U.N. Mission, including director of public relations and travel coordinator. A Twitter bio described him as a “solution finder.” His background also included a New York state charge in 2018 that he bribed a supervisor at JFK airport with limousine rides, meals and a watch so that Qatar could park its diplomatic airplanes overnight during the United Nations General Assembly, a violation of airport rules. The supervisor pleaded guilty last year to receiving unlawful gratuities and official misconduct; Jourieh contested the charge and prosecutors ultimately dropped the case against him.

When Al Thani moved into the Beverly Wilshire, Jourieh flew to L.A. and took up a role somewhere between fixer and babysitter. Among his responsibilities was to approve bills before they were sent on to the Qatari government, according to interviews with former staffers and invoices reviewed by The Times.

It was not always a straightforward process. The prince and his friends didn’t want people back home knowing all of their American exploits.

Jourieh struck up a relationship with Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car, a scrappy Westside outfit known for leasing exotic vehicles to tourists. The company started churning out bills to send to the Qatari government for all manner of needs: day use of a Maybach ($2,900), a security guard ($600), a pair of cook assistants ($475 each), VIP Disneyland tickets and tour ($9,600), a VIP package for the Clippers ($23,000) and a suite for 12 at the Lakers ($12,750).

The invoices ran for pages and pages, making it difficult for the Qatari government to detect improper charges or inflated costs, according to accounting logs and interviews with employees.

In one example, the car rental agency paid $200 for a Virgin Airlines flight and then charged the Qataris $8,700, according to company records. The company billed $73,000 for legal fees for a nonexistent attorney, company officials acknowledged to The Times. It’s unclear whether the prince himself knew the details of the billing.

In any case, the overcharges created a slush fund that was used in part to pay for whatever the prince wanted kept off the books, according to former Chief Financial Officer Mohamed Diakite and other employees familiar with the Qatari account.

Over six weeks in 2014, the car agency laid out $300,000 for the prince and his entourage to spend at the Wynn Resort and Casino during trips to Las Vegas, the records show. Although gambling is forbidden in Islam and treated as a crime in Qatar, Al Thani and his entourage frequently visited Las Vegas, according to social media posts and billing records reviewed by The Times. Former employees said they witnessed the men gambling on the casino floor.

The way Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car dealt with Qatari billing alarmed some at the company. In sworn testimony in a 2012 lawsuit against the company, a former financial executive termed the handling of Qatari cash “illegal.” A former company president alleged in a lawsuit last year that the company generated “fraudulent invoices ... to facilitate misappropriation of funds as well as to overcharge customers.”

Diakite, the former CFO, said that over his eight years of employment, he grew concerned he was participating in “flat-out fraud” by the company, one of numerous accusations he leveled in a lawsuit last year. He and the company are suing each other over the circumstances of his termination.

In an interview, the car rental partner who oversaw the prince’s account, David Sajasi, acknowledged that he concealed expenses that Al Thani and his entourage “didn’t want [their] parents to know” by listing them as “other bills” in the invoices.

“We thought we were gods. We were making so much,” Sajasi said.

After Al Thani returned to Qatar, the gush of money dried up, and the company went out of business.

In a brief phone call, Jourieh, the fixer, declined to answer questions, adding, “Whatever I’m going to say is not going to change anything.”

The longer the prince stayed in L.A., the more money the grande dame hotel at the corner of Wilshire and Rodeo took in.

One way to keep Al Thani and his entourage under the Beverly Wilshire’s roof was to make sure he remained a student.

When Al Thani was in his second year of community college, Chris Gleeson, a hotel executive in charge of international business, reached out to UCLA.

“I told them repeatedly that first of all, as a dean, I did not handle admissions at all; and that we cannot admit somebody because of some special status.”

— Alessandro Duranti, then-dean of social sciences

Gleeson told an administrator that the son of Qatar’s emir was interested in political science, and suggested that if UCLA played its cards right it could be in line for a substantial donation, according to an email the administrator wrote afterward.

It was not an altogether outlandish proposition. Under the leadership of the prince’s mother, Qatar has given more than $1 billion to American universities, making it the largest foreign funder of U.S. higher education.

Gleeson’s call led to a meeting with Alessandro Duranti, then dean of social sciences. The hotel executive, Jourieh and an associate arrived at his office with a set of golden camel statues and a few other gifts, and the delegation made it clear that they wanted a promise of admission for the prince.

“I told them repeatedly that first of all, as a dean, I did not handle admissions at all; and that we cannot admit somebody because of some special status,” Duranti said.

Al Thani’s representatives kept pushing for an hour, he recalled, with one telling him, “His Highness doesn’t like to hear ‘no.’” The dean refused to budge.

The Qataris shifted their attention from Westwood to USC.

The Al Thanis knew several USC trustees, including Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a wealthy L.A. investor and founder of Colony Capital Inc. who oversaw construction of the family’s Bel-Air compound. The fall after UCLA rejected the Qatari overtures, Al Thani’s mother, Sheikha Moza, came to L.A. and Barrack arranged a visit with USC’s president.

C.L. Max Nikias was then in the middle of a $6-billion fundraising campaign, one of the most ambitious capital drives ever in higher education, and both people in the room that day knew Qatar was in a position to give generously to USC.

Four months after the meeting ended, the prince started at USC as a transfer student. His cousin and close friend Nasser enrolled alongside him. Around the same time, USC began pursuing a significant grant from the Qatar Foundation for the university’s marine research center on Catalina Island.

USC referred questions about the meeting to Nikias, who resigned in 2018. In a statement, Nikias said that he “had no discussions about the possible admission of her son” during the meeting. Moza’s nonprofit, the Qatar Foundation, said in a statement that the prince had already been admitted, and described the meeting as “a courtesy visit.”

“At no time during the meeting were potential grants or other financial contributions discussed,” the foundation said.

Once classes began, Al Thani displayed little enthusiasm for his studies, according to people who worked for him. He spent much of the day in his suite at the hotel, playing video games with his entourage and working out with a trainer, former employees said. He passed many evenings chatting with friends at Urth Caffe. On infrequent and brief trips to campus, he liked to stroll the grounds and visit dining establishments, the employees said.

Yet he made the dean’s list three times.

One possible explanation for this academic success was his relationship with a grad student named Juvenal Cortes. Cortes was a teaching assistant in a political science lecture course Al Thani and his cousin enrolled in their first semester at USC.

It was an unlikely pairing. Cortes was a Mexican immigrant who grew up near the Port of L.A. in an apartment he shared with seven relatives. His rise from poverty to a doctoral program at USC’s political science department was a point of pride for him and the university. Eventually he would secure a position as an assistant professor at Occidental College.

“I don’t think he was fully aware of the American educational system.”

— USC adjunct professor

As a doctoral student, Cortes received free tuition and a stipend to cover living expenses, and was not supposed to work outside the university without permission.

But shortly after he met the Al Thanis, Cortes started telling others that he had a side gig with the prince. At a meeting with Steven Lamy, then a vice dean for USC’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Cortes explained that he was working for the royal “to make extra money.”

“He was acting as a sort of guide [or] sherpa for this emir’s son,” Lamy said.

Lamy, who had been at the college since 1982, said he had never heard of such an arrangement but he listened as Cortes sought his advice about how to ask faculty for special treatment for the prince.

“He said, ‘There are going to be times he’s going to be out of town,’” Lamy said. “I said, ‘Professors are sovereign. You have to work it out with them.’”

At mandatory meetings with his political science department advisor, the prince arrived with Cortes, and the grad student took an active role in mapping out Al Thani’s course schedule, advisor Paul Kovich recalled.

Cortes also approached professors on behalf of the prince and his cousin. One adjunct said Cortes introduced himself as the prince’s emissary during a 2013 course and encouraged the instructor to come to him with any problems, an offer the professor declined. Another untenured instructor said in an interview that Cortes took him aside at the beginning of a 2015 course and said Nasser Al Thani would never attend the class but should “do well” grade-wise. The request did not seem “on the up and up,” the professor admitted, but he complied nonetheless.

A Qatari government spokesman did not respond to questions about Nasser Al Thani or the untenured professor’s account.

A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times.

In at least two other courses, Al Thani was excused from attendance after he invoked unspecified “security reasons” and got professors’ permission to submit work electronically.

Campus police were not informed of any threats related to Al Thani, and Lamy, the former vice dean, said he was normally told of legitimate safety concerns. “I would’ve had a briefing. I got no briefing,” he said.

How Cortes was compensated, and the scope of his duties, are not clear.

Eight people who worked at Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car said they were told by Sajasi, his assistant or others at the company that a person was being paid to do the prince’s schoolwork. None was informed of the person’s name.

Diakite, the former CFO, said Sajasi told him in a 2015 conversation that he should bill Qatar for the cost of a Mercedes SUV as a way to partially compensate the person. A March 2015 invoice shows the country was charged $118,000 for a Mercedes, and three other former employees confirmed Diakite’s account. There’s no indication Cortes or anyone else connected to Al Thani’s education ever received the vehicle and the records do not show where the money paid by Qatar for the Mercedes went.

Sajasi denied his former employees’ accounts and said his company did not compensate anyone in connection with the prince’s education. He added, “People that have worked in lower jobs make things up because they are juicy.”

Approached outside his Occidental office last year, Cortes said he did not know anything about a USC student aiding a Qatari prince.

“You should really talk to the [political science] department,” he said, before ending the conversation abruptly. He declined subsequent interview requests and refused to answer detailed questions submitted in writing.

The prince did show up to at least two classes at USC, one in international relations and one in political science, both taught by the same professor. The professor, who was familiar with Middle East politics, told Al Thani at the start of the first course that he knew who he was, and gave him and his classmates a warning: I take roll every class and attendance is mandatory.

Al Thani showed up to the class regularly and signed up for a second one taught by the same professor the following semester.

When the final paper was due, Al Thani asked for an extension and the adjunct granted it, as he said he often did for students. A chauffeur later delivered the paper in a bag that also contained a Rolex.

Stunned, the adjunct said he went to the Beverly Wilshire and returned the watch.

“I don’t think he was fully aware of the American educational system. I felt this was a chance to educate him. I said, ‘This is completely unacceptable,’” said the adjunct, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about a former student.

The next year, the same driver delivered the Rolex again; this time, the prince refused to take it back.

The adjunct researched selling the watch to benefit USC, but found that it was already registered in his name with Rolex. Instead, he wrote a check to the university for its estimated value, $12,500. USC confirmed his account.

The adjunct has never worn the watch, he said. It remains in a drawer in his home.

It was 1:20 a.m. on a school night in 2014, and Khalifa Al Thani was tearing down the 10 Freeway at 130 mph in a white Maybach. He and his entourage were returning from several days at the Wynn in Las Vegas, and the prince was driving so fast that a Range Rover driven by one of his chauffeurs could barely keep up.

The California Highway Patrol pursued the vehicles, and after they exited at La Cienega, officers detained the prince and his entourage and gave him a citation for speeding. L.A. prosecutors would later allege in a criminal complaint that he was driving recklessly and flaunting a dangerous speed.

Al Thani never showed up to his arraignment — even after prosecutors sent a notice to the Beverly Wilshire. There is still an active warrant for his arrest.

Fast cars were the prince’s great love. He rented some in California and brought two of his own: a $890,000 McLaren and a $1.5-million LaFerrari.

Those vehicles achieved their own kind of fame in West L.A.: Car enthusiasts shot videos of them parked outside the Beverly Wilshire, and Scott Disick, the ex-boyfriend of Kourtney Kardashian, posed on the hood of Al Thani’s McLaren. “Thanks for the ride @KHK,” Disick captioned the photo on Instagram, which was later published by the Daily Mail.

Al Thani wanted something more — a California license plate bearing his initials, KHK, according to two former employees. But there was a problem: The vanity plate was already registered to another motorist.

Sajasi’s assistant went to a Target near the Long Beach DMV in November 2014 and charged $524 on a Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car credit card.

“Gift for DMV rep,” a company accounting log read. The same day, an employee in the Long Beach branch signed off on Al Thani’s request for the KHK plate, according to DMV records.

The prince later posted a photo of himself wearing a trucker hat adorned with a mini version of the KHK vanity plate.

Asked whether the car rental agency had bribed a DMV employee, Sajasi said: “I don’t think so.”

A DMV spokeswoman said certain records related to the plate had been purged, but that an internal review indicated “processes and procedures were followed.”

The summer before Al Thani’s senior year at USC, a member of his entourage took to Instagram to praise the prince as “the one who saved my life.”

“I’ll never forget the help and the support. Not today, not tomorrow and not even in a thousand year. Thanks God and thanks for sheik Khalifa bin Hamad al Thani,” Mado Khaled wrote in the 2014 post next to a smiling photo of the prince.

Khaled was a competitive bodybuilder from Lebanon nicknamed “the Puma.” He had worked as a personal trainer in Doha before joining the prince’s L.A. entourage, and referred to Al Thani on social media as his “boss.” He lived at the Beverly Wilshire and trained to compete at Venice’s famed Muscle Beach.

By 2014, Khaled needed a kidney transplant; he wrote on Instagram, “My profession of being a champion bodybuilder had taken its toll on my health.” Two former employees of Al Thani said Khaled told them steroid use was to blame. In the U.S., transplants are heavily regulated and patients can spend years on waiting lists.

A man from Egypt came to L.A. and moved into the Beverly Wilshire. At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of his kidneys was transplanted into the bodybuilder. Khaled chronicled the experience online, posting a selfie with Dr. Stanley Jordan, the physician who heads the kidney transplant program.

That year, there was only one transplant at Cedars in which a noncitizen received a kidney from a nonrelative, federal records show. The government of Qatar paid for that procedure.

Agabus, the former chauffeur, and two other ex-employees said the man who provided the kidney was paid to go through with the transplant, though they did not know the exact source of the money.

Paying for an organ is a federal crime in the U.S. A Cedars spokesman said the hospital could not comment on Khaled’s transplant because of federal privacy laws, but that donors and recipients attest in writing that no money has changed hands.

Jordan said he remembered the bodybuilder’s transplant but denied knowing about any payment for the kidney. He said from his perspective, there was “no nefariousness” in the donation.

“We don’t have the ability to investigate those sorts of things, but we do ask that they give their word that this is not going on,” Jordan said.

Khaled did not return messages seeking comment. The man who provided the kidney stayed on in L.A.; a man who identified himself as his husband declined an interview request on his behalf, saying, “He’s really not into any sort of story.”

Al Thani’s lawyer, Keyko, refused to answer questions about the prince’s role in the transplant, but said any suggestion he had paid for the organ was “a serious allegation which appears to be unfounded and lacking in both evidence and connection to our client.”

Shortly after Khalifa Al Thani returned to Doha in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree, Cortes visited USC’s Annenberg School and inquired about the possibility of the prince getting a master’s degree, according to a school official.

The sheikh was admitted to a graduate program in public diplomacy, but the official said when classes began, Annenberg was informed that family duties prevented the prince from attending.

Professor Nicholas Cull, then director of the public diplomacy program, acknowledged that the prince got a “special dispensation” to study remotely, never granted to any student before or since. In lieu of classroom attendance, one professor agreed to text over Skype about the week’s topics with a person he was told was Al Thani. He said the exchanges lasted for an hour to 90 minutes once a week and he never saw the person’s face.

Social media of the prince during the period he was enrolled in the graduate program show him participating in military exercises on a handful of occasions. Many posts depict him engaged in leisure activities: relaxing at a cafe in the South of France, motoring through Monaco in a Ferrari, hunting with falcons in the Algerian desert, riding a dune buggy on a Doha beach, playing volleyball in a London park and skydiving in multiple locations in England.

When actor-rapper Tyrese Gibson visited Doha in 2016 — a week before final exams at USC — Al Thani played host, prompting the celebrity to write on Instagram, “Talking LA!!!!!!!! Sheikh Khalifa aka @khk went to USC for 4 years and he’s saying great things about my city!!!!!”

Cull, the graduate degree director, defended the atypical arrangement, saying the papers Al Thani submitted were “of a really high standard, potentially publishable.”

Professor Phil Seib, who has taught in the graduate program for more than a decade, said that he had long-standing contacts in the Qatari government, but was not informed that Al Thani was a student. He expressed dismay at the accommodation.

“That’s not what we do,” Seib said. “We’re supposed to be a world-class university. Students need to be in class.”

The four years Al Thani spent in L.A. were a payday for many. But not USC. Nikias traveled to Doha and visited the Qatar Foundation, the deep-pocketed nonprofit run by the prince’s mother, Sheikha Moza. He came away empty-handed, university officials said.

The grant that USC sought for the Catalina Island marine center never materialized.

Still, Sheikha Moza and her husband, the now-former emir, were expected to honor the campus with their presence at their son’s 2015 commencement, according to faculty members and employees of the prince.

A section of Shrine Auditorium had been reserved for the royals, and a golf cart designated to squire them across campus.

None of the Al Thanis showed, not even the prince. The professors on the Shrine stage were left staring out at empty seats.

Times multiplatform editor Sam-Omar Hall contributed to this report.

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Harriet Ryan is an investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Since joining the paper in 2008, she has written about high-profile people, including Phil Spector, Michael Jackson and Tom Girardi, and institutions, including USC, the State Bar of California, the Catholic Church, the Kabbalah Centre and Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin. Ryan won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting with colleagues Matt Hamilton and Paul Pringle in 2019. She and Hamilton won the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability in 2023. She previously worked at Court TV and the Asbury Park Press. She is a graduate of Columbia University.

Matt Hamilton is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting with colleagues Harriet Ryan and Paul Pringle and was part of the team of reporters that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack. A graduate of Boston College and the University of Southern California, he joined The Times in 2013.

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Huge £300m superyacht owned by Qatari royal family spotted in Cornwall among heatwave staycation crowds

• Published : 15:35, 5 Aug 2020
• Updated : 12:03, 23 May 2023

A £300 million-pound superyacht belonging to the Qatari Royal Family has docked in the UK.

The Katara, one of the largest mega super yachts in the world, was spotted berthed in Falmouth, Cornwall , next to luxury cruise liner The World.

It is believed the yacht is owned by the 40-year-old current Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani or by Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani, chairman of the Katara Hospitality Group.

The 7,922 ton yacht, complete with helicopter deck, satellite domes, tenders, and jet skis, was built in Germany at the Lurssen yard.

She is powered by two 9,925 hp engines, giving Katara a top speed of 20 knots.

The boat is due to leave Cornwall tomorrow, according to the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners' website.

Up to 34 guests can stay on board the yacht and it has capacity for 95 crew members.

The yacht is one of the largest in the world.

It is 124m long and generally cruises at about 20 knots.

Katara superyacht docks in Cornwall

Owned by the 40-year-old current Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani or by Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani.

Made in Lussen, Germany.

Weighs 7,922 tonnes, and 124m.

It has 17 cabins and five decks.

Features a helicopter deck, satellite domes, tenders, and jet skis.

Powered by two 9,925 hp engines, giving Katara a top speed of 20 knots.

34 guests can stay on board the yacht and it has capacity for 95 crew members.

Made in 2010, and designed by Albert Pinto and Espen Oeino.

According to Charterworld.com, the boat, which flies under the Qatari flag, was launched in April 2010.

"Katara motoryacht was built at the German shipyard Lurssen, who are the largest high quality builder of large mega yachts, such as this formerly called project Crystal," the yacht's description reads.

"Her impressive naval architecture was designed by the Lurssen in-house naval architects, with the exterior design by the world renowned designer Espen Oeino."

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani took over from his dad as the Emir of Qatar seven years ago.

He is worth about £939million, half of his dad’s estimated net worth of £1.9billion.

The family's wealth comes from the Qatar Investment Authority, which controls oil and gas reserves.

CORNISH NASTY

Meanwhile, Cornwall Council has slammed "ignorant" visitors for refusing to wear masks as thousands descended on beaches this weekend.

Worried locals fear a regional lockdown will be enforced and blasted huge crowds for turning the south coast into "Benidorm on steroids".

Cornwall  Council deputy leader Adam Paynter said there are fears in the community of a rise in  coronavirus  cases due to the inlux of vistors.

He also hit out at "ignorant" tourists who have been refusing to wear masks as they head to the south west to soak up the 37.8C heat.

Speaking on LBC, Councillor Paynter said: "I've heard two different incidents where people have been overheard saying: 'Well, I'm not going to wear a mask. 

"I came down here to get away from all of that'.

"I think that's pretty ignorant thinking that coronavirus doesn't exist down here."

Mr Paynter said he has heard reports of visitors shrugging off face covers as they claim they are on holiday to "get away" from the outbreak.

Cornwall has seen "unprecedented" numbers of visitors flocking to its beaches - leaving some locals too scared to leave their homes.

The superyacht has docked in the UK as a heatwave hits this week.

Sun-seekers flocked to coastal hotspots as an 'African heatflare' prepares to blast the country.

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Did you know?

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Ali Al Thani of Qatar married Sheikh Rashid's daughter Maryam

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Royal Yacht Naief

The ship that rarely went to sea

Sheikh Ahmed was deposed as Ruler of Qatar in 1972. He and his entourage sailed from Qatar to Dubai on his Yacht Naief to berth at newly built Port Rashid's coastal berth alongside Shed No 11. Thereafter, Yacht Naief rarely moved from this berth except for maintenance checks On those occasions, Naief would leave Port Rashid, go to sea for a couple of hours to check everything was working Then Naief would return to her Berth in Port Rashid Naief became a familiar sight to people driving along Al Khaleej Road towards Shindaga Tunnel.

Royal Yacht Naief at Port Rashid

Naief's History begins in Helgoland in Germany

Helgoland is a Resort Island 70kms off Germany's coastline. Partially destroyed during WW2, Tourists no longer visited the island. HADAG-Lloyd (a small shipping company) rebuilt Helgoland's facilities and, in 1952, began taking taking Tourists again to Helgoland on their ship "Burgermeister Ross". HADAG built a new larger ship called "Wappen von Hamburg" capable of carrying 1600 passengers as the island's popularity grew. In 1957 HADAG ordered a second similar ship - the "Bunte Kuh" ( The Coloured Cow ) to cope with continuing passenger traffic but both ships proved too slow leaving Tourists with limited time on Helgoland. In 1960 HADAG sold Wappen von Hamburg to a Greek shipping company Nomikos. Two years later Bunte Kuh was sold to another Greek company, Sun Lines. Charalambos and his wife Isabella Keusseoglou started Sun Lines in 1958 for family orientated luxury cruises on the Aegean Sea. They rebuilt "Bunte Kuh" as Sun Line's first cruise vessel which they renamed "Stella Solaris". Sun Lines became so popular they purchased a larger cruise liner which they also called "Stella Solaris" and sold their first "Stella Solaris" to Sheikh Ahmed of Qatar in 1971 which he then converted into his private yacht Naief.

How Fast is Fast?

For reasons unknown in 1971 Sheikh Ahmed had two Napier Deltic engines installed on Naief, replacing the existing engines. Napier Deltic engines were designed for fast naval patrol boats. Governments usually bought these engines for their Navies. It may be coincidental that the British Government announced its withdrawal from the Gulf at the same time as Sheikh Ahmed obtained these engines for his yacht. Presumably his intention was to provide Naief with more speed. These engines were complex and designed to be maintained by replacement i.e. an engine had to be removed from the yacht, sent ashore for maintenance and replaced by another engine. Sheikh Ahmed therefore had to buy four engines - two to be installed - one kept ready for installation to meet maintenance needs and a fourth engine under maintenance back at the UK Manufacturer. Sheikh Ahmed built an airconditioned facility to store his spare engines. Expert knowledge and experience were essential to keeping these engines operational so Sheikh Ahmed recruited a retired UK Naval Officer with Napier Deltic experience. His task promised to be difficult since after the Naief berthed in Port Rashid in 1972, it rarely went to sea. The ex Naval Officer became more of a Caretaker. Whether Sheikh Ahmed's expensive efforts gave Naief extra speed is not known. Probability is they didn't!

The Race that was lost before it started

Possible reason for Sheikh Ahmed wanting to make his yacht go faster was to beat his Father-in-Law's Dhow Zabeel. There is a story of Sheik Rashid challenging his son-in-law to a race across the Gulf despite Sheikh Rashid knowing his Zabeel was much slower than the Naief. Sheikh Rashid's secret plan was to sneak out of Dubai Creek in the early hours of race day and steal a "head start" on the Naief. Sheikh Ahmed understood his wily Father in Law and knew what he would do. Sheikh Ahmed, overnight, positioned his Naief off Dubai Creek' entrance to await the Zabeel. There is no evidence the race actually took place -- but who knows !!!!

Aftermath Sheikh Ahmed died in London in 1977. The ex Naval Officer left the Royal Yacht Naief which had lain idle alongside its Port Rashid Jetty. Naief was last reported to have finally sailed from Port Rashid in April 1978 heading for Doha, Qatar.

Royal Yacht Naief at Doha Qatar 1979 © David Jackson

Sheikh Ahmed's Royal Yachts Naief and Suhail at Doha Qatar - Date Unknown - © David Jackson

No information on what happened to Royal Yacht Naief except an unconfirmed report Naief was broken up in 1999.

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Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser: Inside The Life Of Qatar's Elegant First Lady

Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned was born in the Qatari town of Al Khor on August 8, 1959. At the time, her father was a prominent business owner and politician, but the family's fate changed when he was imprisoned for speaking out against the ruling emir regarding the inequitable distribution of the country's wealth. Following his release in 1964, the family fled Qatar and lived in exile in Kuwait and Egypt.

The future sheikha returned to her country and enrolled at Qatar University when the emir's son, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, decided to marry her. At 18, she became his second wife and the daughter-in-law of her father's jailer. In 1995 her husband became the emir after overthrowing his father in a nonviolent coup. She is the mother of seven children and is said to be her husband's favorite wife. She is deeply involved in the financial decisions of the royal family and has captivated the world of high fashion with her flawless looks. She most recently made waves with the chic ensembles she wore to the wedding of Jordan's crown prince. 

Shockingly, she seems to have largely flown under the radar when it comes to coverage of royal families. That said, she certainly has the attention of the most discerning fashion experts. A jury member who decided Vanity Fair's best-dressed list in 2018 included her as a "Globalista" along with Meghan Markle and wrote, "Moza's wardrobe is the ultimate regal power statement — she is a modern Jacqueline Onassis."

She is highly educated

Sheikha Moza, who reportedly wanted to be a doctor before marrying into the royal family, ended up studying at Qatar University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. After that, she earned a master's in public policy in Islam from Hamad bin Khalifa University. She cites her father's dedication to educating himself while he was in prison as the inspiration and motivation for her to pursue her own studies. In addition to the degrees she earned, she has been presented with many honorary doctorates, including several from American universities.

Recognizing the importance of education and the doors it opens, she is devoted to ensuring that others have similar opportunities. "You need to educate people to be prudent, to be wise in terms of dealing with their ecosystem, their environment, with their health, with their sanitation ... when you educate an individual, you're really helping to bring up a healthy wellbeing," she said (via Doha News ).

Her extensive education, however, seems to fly in the face of Qatar's oppressive male guardianship system. The inequitable conditions that are enforced in Qatar inevitably returned to the spotlight when it hosted the World Cup in 2022. Human Rights Watch recognizes that the country has made some progress but decries its treatment of women in general. A recent report titled "Everything I Have to Do is Tied to a Man" details that women must still get permission from their male guardians to do just about anything, including seeking a higher education. 

Moza bint Nasser is the glamorous face of one of the world's most oppressive regimes

"Any people that want to develop their countries ... have to practice democracy. That's what I believe." These words were uttered during a 2003 interview for "60  Minutes" by Sheikha Moza's husband, the emir of Qatar at the time (via Christian Science Monitor ). This is a curious statement coming from the leader of a state that is widely documented as oppressive to women, a regular perpetrator of human rights violations, and has made same-sex relationships illegal and punishable by law, to name just a few of its abuses.

Qatar's penchant for these unsavory practices has long been protested at home and around the world. As Qatar prepared to host the World Cup, many concerns came to light regarding the employment and living conditions of migrant workers. According to The Guardian , 6,500 perished between 2010 (when Qatar was named host) and 2022, when the event finally occurred. Many of these deaths happened during the construction of several additional sports stadiums and infrastructure.

Sheikha Moza, who cuts a sophisticated and outspoken figure, is an anomaly when it comes to how her freedoms compare to the average Qatari woman. Not only is she extraordinarily independent and well-traveled, but in a region where first ladies are not often seen in public, she is a constant globe-trotter, has her hand in the family's considerable financial operations, and bucks tradition by wearing a headscarf instead of a veil.

She is a fashion icon

If Sheikha Moza wasn't already on every fashionista's radar, she certainly is after recently attending the wedding of the Crown Prince of Jordan. She arrived at the royal palace in a showstopping Valentino coat that was part of the designer's 1989 couture collection. Having solidified her place as a fashion icon as the sole inductee into Vanity Fair's International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame in 2015, her style is sophisticated, elegant, and modest.

"She is laying out ground rules: you can be fashionable and cutting edge, but there are boundaries," one expert who is based in Doha told The Financial Times . Her wardrobe includes top designers like  Chanel , Hermès, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Valentino. She often pairs her outfits with stunning footwear by her favorite shoe designer — Christian Louboutin .

Having inspired Instagram accounts that showcase her fashion triumphs, she says that she doesn't use a stylist "because I wouldn't find anyone who understands what I want" (via The Daily Mail ). She also loves spending time alone with her collection. "It's my mental treat. When I'm exhausted, I go to my dressing room and go through my closets, and I try to mix things and fix things," she said. Brazilian designer Victor Dzenk told O Globo newspaper what it was like to work with her: "In addition to being a beautiful woman, she is very calm, she speaks in a low voice, and she knows what she wants" (via The Daily Mail).

Her jewelry and accessory collections are unmatched

In addition to her one-of-a-kind wardrobe, Sheikha Moza owns an equally impressive collection of jewelry and accessories, which she uses to great effect. Her regal looks can include everything from diamond-encrusted necklaces to dramatic chandelier-style earrings to rings bearing enormous stones. She owns stunning pieces from exclusive jewelers like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston, Buccellati, David Webb, and Chatila.

Harold Koda, former curator of the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute, characterized her style: "What Sheikha Moza has mastered requires aesthetic sophistication, discipline, and a decisive point of view. She deftly balances decorous societal expectations with stylish individuality. No one else will ever look like her" (via Vogue Arabia ). 

Some of the sheikha's more spectacular pieces are a gold and coral necklace and earring set designed by David Webb, a pair of Cartier beetle brooches made in the art deco style, and a Cartier snake necklace that is covered with diamonds. Rumor has it, however, that the snake necklace was modified to match a modest J. Mendel gown during a visit to England. Sharp eyes noticed that two gigantic emeralds had been replaced with two gigantic diamonds for the occasion. Her accessorizing doesn't stop there. She is also partial to wearing magnificent statement belts that brilliantly accentuate her outfits. These include creations by Silvia Furmanovich, a Brazil-based designer well-known for her wood marquetry, an eye-catching leather piece by Bottega Veneta, and a unique metal belt by Giambattista Valli.

Moza bint Nasser is dedicated to improving education in Qatar and around the world

Sheikha Moza has dedicated much of her public life to expanding and improving educational opportunities for Qatari citizens and people worldwide. According to UNESCO , she has served at that organization as Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education since 2003. Her official website lists all of her initiatives, including those dedicated to social development, health care, the environment, and more. 

Despite these admirable efforts, her apparent unwillingness to address Qatar's continued oppression of women head-on has occasionally sparked controversy. She proffers carefully crafted responses to defend her country's culture when confronted on the issue. "Islam has always guaranteed the full rights of women," she said at a 2006 Carnegie-Mellon University address, "and women have always occupied a central role in Islamic civilizations. ... It is important to remember that these women were consulted in forming legislative order in Islamic societies, and they heavily influenced policies that were to govern social, political, economic, and military issues" (via Harvard Divinity School ). 

Her ability to put a positive spin on Qatar's questionable policies has undoubtedly helped her to accomplish some pretty impressive goals. One of these has been the establishment of satellite campuses of several American universities in her home state. "If you want to teach women, you have to teach men as well. If you have educated men, they will enable their women to be educated," she told The Financial Times . Hmm.

Moza bint Nasser has an impressive real estate portfolio

It goes without saying that opulent homes are included in this family's vast real estate holdings. First and foremost is the Doha Royal Palace, which serves as Sheikha Moza's home base while in Qatar.  This is essentially a compound that is home to 15 different palaces and cost an estimated $1 billion to build. Reportedly covered in real gold accents, there is also space to accommodate parking for 500 cars.

An Italian design company called Mantellassi shared its involvement in a recent redecoration of the palace on its website. They say that their work was based on the design concept of a Tunisian architect named Walid Layouni. It is described as featuring a variety of design styles, including Baroque elements in the formal spaces and a deco glam style in the family's living spaces. 

In addition to her residence in the family palace, the sheikha has used her wealth to purchase several mansions in the toniest London neighborhoods. These include two Cornwall Terrace homes in Regent's Park that sit next right to each other. She acquired them several years ago with plans to convert them into one enormous mansion, but this project appears to be mired in legal problems. According to the BBC , it was recently discovered that the purchase was conducted through a shell company located offshore to save money.

She is often referred to as the actual ruler of Qatar

Sheikha Moza is the only "forward-facing" and publicity-friendly wife of the former emir of Qatar, and as such, her power has only grown since her marriage to him as a teenager in 1977. It's reported she was not only the driving force behind her husband's successful move to overthrow his father's regime in 1995, but she did an encore performance to ensure that the role would go to one of her children next.

In 2013, apparently fueled by fears of her husband's death and how it might affect her future, she is suspected of having orchestrated similar manipulations that resulted in her son Tamim conducting his own bloodless coup.  As the mother of the current emir, she has cemented her power in the family's political, cultural, and financial decisions for the foreseeable future. 

Some suspect that the sheikha was behind Tamim's rise to power for a variety of reasons. A family member named Saud bin Nasser Al-Thani has spoken out publicly about the affair, asserting that Sheikha Moza's eldest son Jassem was supposed to become emir but strangely withdrew from consideration in favor of his brother. Bin Nasser says that the reason for the change in the succession plan was that she could control her second-born more effectively. He also makes outright claims that she is the person who is truly running Qatar and has installed several of her closest relatives in important positions to strengthen her control. 

Her family is very, very, very wealthy

Sheikhdoms have been synonymous with extreme wealth for several decades, due to the discovery of the world's largest petroleum deposits in the Persian Gulf. Qatar entered the game in 1971 when it struck the planet's largest gas field. As such, the current monarchy of Qatar, the Al-Thani dynasty, has no shortage of cash. The collective members of the family have an estimated net worth of a staggering $335 billion.

This includes the globe-trotting Sheikha Moza's portion, which is reportedly valued at about $15 billion. In addition to owning stakes in lots of valuable real estate like the Shard skyscraper in London, the family also owns Valentino Fashion Group, Balmain, Harrods (a luxury department store in London), and many other businesses outright.

The sheikha most certainly has access to her son's assets as well. These include a super yacht named Katara, which has a helicopter pad and room for 35 people on board. The royal family also owns a private airline with a fleet of 14 jets reserved for the exclusive use of the family and other high-ranking officials. Last but not least, if she needs some sporting entertainment, the sheikha can probably get great tickets to a soccer game. Emir Tamim bought the Paris Saint-Germain club in 2011, and the family is also looking to purchase Manchester United. 

Moza bint Nasser is deeply interested in art and architecture

Sheikha Moza's interests and causes are extremely diverse. For starters, she has been intimately involved in Qatar's transformation and supervises massive construction projects that are designed to meet strict environmental standards while showcasing the protecting the small state's cultural legacy. The Qatar National Convention Center, which opened in 2011, used the latest methods when it came to water conservation and energy efficiency. Another pet project was the Msheireb development, which is set on 75 acres in downtown Doha. It consists of performance venues, public spaces, retail shops, and housing. She is very committed to honoring Qatar's culture and heritage, as well as its traditional art and architectural styles — all while promoting the global engagement of its citizens.

Of course, no palace would be complete without the ability to display some of the world's most valuable and recognizable artwork. The royal family's investments range from a brooch likely made by artist Alexander Calder to paintings by famous artists that they have purchased for astronomical prices. According to India Times , their extensive collection includes Mark Rothko's "White Center" which they bought for $72.8 million, pop artist Andy Warhol's "Men in Her Life," acquired for $63.4 million, and Cézanne's "The Card Players," which broke records when they paid $250 million for it.

Sheikha Moza's daughter Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani has been instrumental in amassing the family's massive collection of priceless artworks. Her annual budget is estimated to be $1 billion.  

Hellenism in the News

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Qatar Sheik docks in Skiathos with €300 yacht

Sheikh al thani arrived at skiathos aboard the 133-meter yacht al mirqab, one of the largest and most luxurious yachts in the world..

Qatari Sheikh and former Emirati Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, arrived at one of his favorite destinations in Skiathos, early last Saturday afternoon.

Sheikh Al Thani arrived in Skiathos aboard the 133-meter yacht Al Mirqab, one of the largest and most luxurious yachts in the world.

Qatari Sheikh and former Emirati Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, arrived at one of his favorite destinations in Skiathos, early last Saturday afternoon. Sheikh Al Thani arrived in Skiathos aboard the 133-meter yacht Al Mirqab, one of the largest and most luxurious yachts in the world. The sheikh’s luxurious yacht anchored at 11 in the morning in the bay of the Maratha coast, becoming the focus of everyone’s attention.

In recent years, Al Mirqab has been mooring for a few days in Maratha, Skiathos, as the sheikh maintains personal relations with the hotel owners and the mayor of the island.

The yacht of the sheikh, aboard which are all his family members, all the necessary health protection measures have been taken and there is a permanent medical staff as well as a molecular analyzer in order to make continuous checks for the coronavirus. The sheikh’s floating “palace”

The floating “palace” Al Mirqab is the sixth largest yacht in the world and one of the three most expensive. It has a crew of 51, has 12 suites, two swimming pools, a helipad, a gym, a jacuzzi and a cinema hall, while it cost 300,000,000 euros.

The Al Mirqab was built in Germany in 2008 and was described as the most modern and luxurious boat of that year.

Inside there are hand-carved furniture, sofas with many pillows, Persian rugs, marble floors and bronze handles, while the walls are decorated with paintings by famous painters, including works by Van Gogh and Picasso.

Each suite has its own bathroom and balcony on the deck.

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Qatar Sheikh's 437 foot yacht at the pier - Key West Forum

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Qatar Sheikh's 437 foot yacht at the pier

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Ha ha ... would have loved to see *that* dinghy.

These mega yachts are getting too big. We need to turn a few into some artificial reefs!

http://www.vancouverinternationalboatshow.com/World%27s-largest-yachts.html

"These mega yachts are getting too big. We need to turn a few into some artificial reefs!"

It belongs to the Prince of Qatar who often comes to KW. It's a beautiful yacht and a much more welcome site than that overly large Carnival ship that was in as well.

From wikipedia:

The yacht Al Mirqab offers great comfort for all guests. The yacht can accommodate 10 guests in 5 guest apartments with one VIP suite for the yacht owner. The apartments are large; each with their own bathroom, living room and double bedroom. The yacht has a crew of 60, who have their own small rooms. Some of the amenities on board include: a cinema, outside bars, inside and outside jacuzzi, sunbathing places and a helicopter pad. The yacht also has all the usual equipment for watersport entertainment.

i don't care....i still DISLIKE the fact Qatar got the 2022 World Cup.....or should I say Qatar "BOUGHT" the 2022 World cup........argh !!!

"Al Mirqab is one of the largest yachts ever built. The yacht belongs to Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister - Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani." Source: Wikipedia.

What is so interesting to me is that my son, who works in the Mediterranean, sent me a picture of this very yacht back in September when it was docked in Majorca, Spain! That is certainly some yacht!

it may not be registered to the Prince but it often carries him here.

It's good to be the king.

Prince, King, Prime Minister, it doesn't matter in Qatar it is all in the family....the royal family.

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• Where should we stop to eat and what should we see on the drive to Key West?
• Where are the best Happy Hours?

Worth $15 billion, meet the fashionable First Lady of Qatar, Sheikha Moza. Forget splurging at Harrods her family owns Harrods, Valentino and they even have a stake in Louis Vuitton. She tirelessly works with the United Nations and lives in a magnificent palace.

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Here are 6 times when David and Victoria Beckham blatantly sold their souls for success – From his multi-million dollar deal with the Qatar World cup to joining the LA Galaxy to Posh’s solo single promo tour.

Member of the Qatari royal family rejected an ultra-luxe $100 million NYC penthouse and bought a modest $47 million row house because the sheik felt the skyscraper’s two high-speed elevators were insufficient for his two wives, 15 children, and armed guards.

For its business and first-class passengers, Qatar Airways has opened the world’s first Louis Vuitton lounge at Doha airport. In partnership with 16 Michelin-star chef Yannick Alléno the space is accessible via a special elevator.