With our own branch in Dubai, we move yachts and boats by road between the emirates and on to the neighbouring Gulf states: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Knowing the road restrictions is what lets us send the right truck and trailer. Knowing the procedures of customs and the other authorities is what keeps the boat moving once it is on the road, and that part changes the moment a border is involved.
No two jobs follow the same steps. A boat built at a local yard, a second-hand yacht arriving from Europe and a boat moving from one GCC country to another each come with their own paperwork, so we plan the trip around the boat's story, not just its size.
What we move by road
- Motorboats and sport cruisers
- Sailing yachts, with the mast down
- Jet skis, RIBs and tenders
- Boats wider than 2.6 m, under permit
- New builds, from the yard to the launch site
- Yachts from the port to their marina
Two kinds of road job
Inside the UAE
Most road jobs never leave the country. Marina to marina, yard to launch site, between emirates, or from the port to the marina once the ship has come in.
There is no customs to clear, but the size rules still apply. If the boat is over the limits, the special permit is applied for before the truck is booked.
Across the GCC
Once a boat leaves the UAE, the paperwork matters as much as the truck. The export has to be cleared, then the transit or import papers for each country on the way.
Each country also has its own size rules and permits, so a boat that is fine on UAE roads may still need a permit in the next country.
Road routes from the UAE
Border posts, papers and local limits for each country are on its own page.
Height usually decides it
On UAE roads the height limit is measured from the road surface to the highest point of the load, so the trailer deck counts as much as the boat. That is why yachts travel on lowbed trailers, with the deck as close to the road as it gets, and why arches, radar domes and antennas often come off for the trip.
Width comes next. Plenty of motor yachts and almost every catamaran are wider than 2.6 m, which means a special permit and a route planned around it.
On the trailer, the boat sits on a cradle shaped to its hull, tied down with ratchet straps ahead of the drive. For a long, dusty drive it is shrink wrapped as well.
How a road job runs
- Measurements first
Length, beam, weight and the height of the highest fixed point. With those figures we can tell straight away whether the trip needs a permit.
- Route and permits
We check the roads and, for longer trips, the borders, and file any special permit before the truck is confirmed.
- Loading
The boat is lifted onto its cradle on the trailer by crane or travel lift and strapped down. Its condition can be recorded in a survey report before it leaves.
- Papers ready ahead
Export, transit and import papers are prepared before the truck reaches the border, so it isn't parked there for days. This is part of our customs clearance work.
- Delivery
The boat is unloaded at its marina, yard or port, or goes straight back into the water.
Questions about road transport
Does my boat need a special permit?
In the UAE, yes if the load is wider than 2.6 m, taller than 4.6 m measured from the road, or over the length and weight limits. We check your figures and apply for it when it is needed.
Can you take a boat from Dubai to another emirate?
Yes. There is no customs border between emirates, so the job is mainly about the size rules, the right trailer and the timing of the truck.
Is my yacht insured while it is on the truck?
Ask your insurer first whether your hull policy covers the yacht while it is being transported. If it doesn't, we can arrange transport insurance through the insurer we work with.
My yacht is coming from Europe. Can you take it on by road?
Yes. It arrives by ship at a UAE port, and we take it from there to its marina or across the border.
Moving a boat by road in the UAE or across the Gulf? Send us its size and the pickup and delivery points, and we'll work out the route and the permits it needs.
Plan road transport