Al Said

Al Said is one of the most imposing and recognisable large private motor yachts in the world. Built by Lürssen and delivered in 2008, she measures approximately 155 metres and represents one of the major giga yacht projects of the early twenty-first century.

The yacht was developed under the project name Project Sunflower and was built for highly private royal and state-associated use. With exterior design by Espen Øino International and construction by Lürssen, Al Said combines exceptional scale, formal yacht styling and the engineering capacity required for a vessel of more than 15,000 gross tons.

Al Said has a strong, stately exterior profile, with a long cream-coloured hull, high-volume superstructure and balanced classical proportions. Unlike some later giga yachts with more aggressive contemporary lines, Al Said presents a formal and dignified appearance, reflecting her role as a large royal yacht rather than a charter-focused lifestyle vessel.

The yacht’s size allows for extensive guest and service arrangements. Public sources report accommodation for up to 70 guests, with a very large crew complement of around 174. This places Al Said among the most capable private yachts in terms of hospitality, logistics and onboard service capacity.

One of the yacht’s most famous reported features is a large onboard concert hall capable of accommodating an orchestra. This unusual facility distinguishes Al Said from many other large yachts and reinforces her reputation as a vessel designed for formal entertaining, ceremonial hospitality and large-scale private events.

Other publicly reported features include a helipad, guest elevator, cinema, extensive guest accommodation and large interior volumes across multiple decks. As with many privately operated royal or state-associated yachts, detailed interior information remains limited, and many onboard arrangements are not publicly documented.

Technically, Al Said is a full-displacement steel and aluminium motor yacht. She is reported to have a range of around 7,700 nautical miles and a top speed of approximately 22 knots, with power from twin MTU diesel engines. Her construction, volume and range make her suitable for long-distance operation and extended independent cruising.

Al Said remains an important yacht in the history of large private yacht construction. Her significance lies not only in her length, but also in her extraordinary guest capacity, formal design language, rare concert-hall feature and the scale of engineering required to create a private yacht of this size and purpose.

Key features

• Built by Lürssen and delivered in 2008
• Known during construction as Project Sunflower
• Exterior design by Espen Øino International
• Interior design by Redman Whiteley Dixon
• Approximately 155 metres in length
• One of the largest private motor yachts in the world
• Full-displacement steel hull with aluminium superstructure
• Reported accommodation for up to 70 guests
• Reported crew complement of around 174
• Large-volume interior across multiple decks
• Reported onboard concert hall capable of accommodating an orchestra
• Reported cinema
• Reported helipad
• Guest elevator
• Long-range cruising capability of around 7,700 nautical miles
• Formal, stately exterior profile suited to private, royal and ceremonial use