We also took the floor at the GCC Smart Yachting Days event in Dubai

In February, Setur Marinas shared our ideas with the leaders of the sector at the GCC Smart Yachting Days event organized by Monaco Marina Management in Dubai.

Gonca Melek Özkan, Setur Marinas Environmental Manager

This year's GCC Smart Yachting Days in Dubai was moderated by Martin Redmayne, a renowned figure in the luxury yachting industry and founder and editor-in-chief of Superyacht Group. This important event brings together maritime industry leaders from around the world, providing a valuable platform to shape the future of yachting in the region with a focus on sustainability. New products are introduced and business ideas compete.

This year Monaco Marina Management introduced the new M3 Smart Marina certification. This certification aims to measure smart and efficient marina operations and aims to reduce and optimize sustainability at all levels of the marina.

Start-ups such as Arkhaus, BatteryCheck, Boatmate, JetCycle, Posseidon, Seares and Ship O'Hoi also competed with their business ideas. At the end of the judging, Expedition Zero, represented by Andrew Cowen, won the "2024 GCC Smart Yachting Days Yachting Award" for their "net zero adventure tourism concept". Camille Lopez, representing HY-Plugs, a marine energy transition consultancy, won the "GCC Smart Yachting Days Marina Award".

Of course, what really adds value to GCC Smart Yachting Days are the sessions where ideas and suggestions for the future are discussed. On the first day of the event, these sessions covered topics such as promoting sustainability practices through culture and education, collaborations with environmental initiatives, the importance of the circular economy and proactively involving local communities in projects.

On the second day of the event, which I attended as a speaker, we focused on topics such as balancing sustainability and investor expectations in sessions with panelists from the marina and investment development sector. We discussed sustainability standards in marinas, waste and wastewater management, certifications, setting targets for environmentally friendly systems and the methods we will follow to achieve these targets. All sessions emphasized the importance of promoting smart and green marina construction. Investors need to refocus their mindset and the long-term financial and environmental benefits of investing in smart marinas were underlined.

On the second day, I participated in a panel discussion on how to achieve a healthy balance between luxury yachting and social and environmental responsibilities. There is no doubt that we need to work together and build new collaborations to balance luxury yachting with social and environmental responsibility in marinas. We can promote sustainability in our marinas, raise awareness among yacht owners and visitors, offer eco-friendly and green options, and inspire local communities and stakeholders to change. In this way, marinas can preserve their luxurious atmosphere, protect the unique marine ecosystem and fulfill their social responsibility role in a healthy way.

The fact that marinas are usually located in the heart of the city and have strategic importance due to their location makes them a symbol of the city. This also places a responsibility on marinas to preserve and enhance the cultural fabric and build sustainable partnerships with local stakeholders.

As we left Dubai, where we once again had the opportunity to get to know the work being done around the world, we were happy to see that we, as the Setur Marinas team, have established the right strategies and taken the necessary steps for the future.

Photographs: Gonca Melek Özkan, Bora Hoşver