Gulf Craft Collaborates with University of Sharjah to Support the Marine Innovators of the Future

Gulf Craft, one of the world’s leading boat and yacht manufacturers, has collaborated with University of Sharjah’s College of Fine Arts and Design for its ‘Design for Special Interiors’ course focused on ‘Sustainable Luxury in Yacht Interior Design’. The collaboration comes in line with Gulf Craft’s on-going commitment to make the United Arab Emirates a global yachting centre of excellence, and in line with its “Path to Sustainability” and “Next Generation” pillars announced at Dubai International Boat Show.

Together Gulf Craft and University of Sharjah introduced a bespoke project across the spring 2023 semester, where a studio class made up of 18 talented students in their third year underwent an exciting new learning challenge which introduced them to sustainable luxury in interior design.

The final stage of the project was marked by student presentations, where they were granted the opportunity to discuss their learnings and showcase their work through 2D and 3D design simulations, in front of a jury panel including Dr. Wael Aly Rashdan, Associate Professor at University of Sharjah, Dr. Abdul Samad Al Khalidi, Assistant Professor at University of Sharjah, and Hussein Alshaali, Concept Design Department Head, Gulf Craft.

Hussein Alshaali, Concept Design Department Head, Gulf Craft, said: “We are passionate about engaging youth in the marine industry, enabling them to build rewarding careers. For this reason, we have collaborated with the University of Sharjah, to share its values and vision along with exchanging knowledge and expertise with up-and-coming design talent.” He added: “The future of our planet is the responsibility of everyone. We are committed to promoting sustainability through smart product design, emissions reducing technologies and path-breaking environmental initiatives.”

Gulf Craft, established in 1982 in the UAE, is one of the world’s only fully integrated shipyards, delivering every aspect of boat and yacht building from R&D, design, and production in-house; as such it is internationally recognised as an industry leader in the use of innovative technology. Through its expertise, Gulf Craft aims to introduce the next generation of innovators to the marine industry, encouraging them to consider an exciting career in the region’s rapidly expanding yachting and boat building sector.