DUBAI: ‘Obaid’, the largest wooden Arabic dhow in the world was verified by Guinness World Records today in Dubai. It is named after Obaid Jumaa bin Majid Al Falasi, an Emirati shipbuilder who began an apprenticeship at the age of nine in the mid-1940s.
The majestic dhow measures 91.47 m long and 20.41 m wide. Decades on from the heyday of the Creek’s trading boats, a family-run yard still produces traditional hand-built vessels – and most importantly has just been recognized with the Guinness World Records title of the Largest wooden Arabic dhow.
With no actual engineering vision or blueprints, the work on the dhow started years ago. Local craftsmen describe it as the ‘art of dhow building’.
According to Majid Obaid Al Falasi, aged 52, it is not for the prestige that drove him to build the largest dhow, but for his late father, Obaid Jumaa bin Majid Al Falasi. He said that the dhow is gratitude to his father, and the country which always aims for the forefront positions. From being born to a family of dhow builders, he said that the wood keeps the identity and stands out of any other material.
The majestic dhow is larger and stronger than a traditional one and will be able to carry four times more cargo in and out from Dubai’s docks. With a height of 11.229 meters and weight of2500 tonnes, it has been constructed from material sourced both locally and abroad. The estimated load capacity is up to 6,000 tonnes. There might be around 1700 tonnes of wood, and 800 tonnes of steel. The wood was brought from Africa, and it is mainly a jungle wood. Apart from the years of commitment and tens of dedicated skillful craftsmen, this iconic sailing vessel cost comes from the expenses of wood imports, and hundreds of thousands of nuts, bolts, screws, and nails.
The dhow is powered by two 1850 horsepower engines. It will be used to transport cargo from the UAE to Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, Kenya, Pakistan, India, and maybe Iraq.
Source: WAM
