Joshua Parfitt
ONE of the world’s most expensive superyachts has caused an internet sensation after docking in the Port of Denia last weekend.
The Lady Moura, reportedly the largest yacht ever to dock in the Marina Alta, has sent hundreds fumbling for their phones as Instagram feeds filled with selfies and snaps of the craft.
Reportedly boasting seven decks, a helicopter pad, a 24m-long dining table and an indoor pool with a sliding roof, the Lady Moura is believed to be the 13th priciest yacht in the world – according to Beautiful Life – at an estimated $210 million.
The superyacht, owned by the Saudi billionaire owner Dr Nasser bin Ibrahim Al-Rashid, can accommodate 30 guests in 15 cabins while 60 crew are housed in an extra 30 cabins.
And the irresistibile eye-candy doesn’t stop there: the gangway to the Lady Moura is understood to feature real sand and palm trees, while the ship’s name and shield is made from 24-karat gold.
When it was built in 1990 by German shipbuilders Blohm+Voss the Lady Moura was the 9th-longest superyacht in the world. Today it is the 40th, according to Boat International.
It has been solely owned by Al-Rashid, whose estimated $8 billion net-worth would place him inside the top 200 richest people in the world – he is not named in the Forbes Worlds’ Billionaires list, however, due to difficulty measuring assets in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Rashid is founder and chairman of Rashid Engineering, which oversees major construction projects for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The company’s portfolio includes: royal courts and palaces, guest houses, conference halls, government buildings, hospitals, hotels and housing compounds, as well as highways, bridges, and mountainous tunnels.
The low-profile Al-Rashid was in the press in mid-2000 after failing in two court actions to suppress the sale of his ex-wife Mouna Ayoub’s autobiography.
In La Verité, published in France, mega-rich socialite Ayoub wrote of feeling like a bird in a ‘gilded cage’ during the 20-year marriage that produced five children.
“I was given the most sumptuous dresses and amassed a huge collection of jewels, yet I could only wear my black Arab robe and a veil.
“I was forbidden to speak to men, forbidden to see female friends not approved by my husband, forbidden to play sport, forbidden to laugh, or speak loudly in public.”
Al-Rashid is also an active philanthropist, whose donations include $140 million for the King Fahd National Centre for Children’s Cancer and Research – which Rashid Engineering also built – in Riyadh.
The superyacht will reportedly remain in Denia for the winter, while the Marina Alta capital celebrates the 120th anniversary of its current port.
