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BASRAH BREEZE
BASRAH BREEZE is a 82.0 m Motor Yacht, built in Denmark by Helsingor Vaerft and delivered in 1981.
Her top speed is 19.3 kn, her cruising speed is 16.0 kn, and she boasts a maximum cruising range of 7000.0 nm at 10.0 kn, with power coming from two MTU diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 28 guests in 14 staterooms, with 35 crew members. She has a gross tonnage of 2282.0 GT and a 13.02 m beam.
She was designed by Helsingor Vaerft , who also completed the naval architecture. Helsingor Vaerft has designed 2 yachts and created the naval architecture for 2 yachts for yachts above 24 metres.
BASRAH BREEZE is in the top 5% by LOA in the world. She is one of 66 motor yachts in the 80-90m size range, and, compared to similarly sized motor yachts, her cruising speed is 1.06 kn above the average, and her top speed 0.94 kn above the average.
BASRAH BREEZE is the only superyacht registered under the Iraq flag
Specifications
- Name: BASRAH BREEZE
- Previous Names: QADISSIYAT SADDAM,AL YAMAMAH,OCEAN BREEZE
- Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
- Builder: Helsingor Vaerft
- Naval Architect: Helsingor Vaerft
- Exterior Designer: Helsingor Vaerft
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Saddam Hussein’s former superyacht Basrah Breeze is turned into a hotel for sailors
- Stef Bottinelli
$30 million superyacht Basrah Breeze was built for Saddam Hussein in 1981 but the late Iraqi dictator never set foot on it
The 82m Basrah Breeze superyacht, built for Saddam Hussein in 1981, has been turned into a hotel. The yacht is to be specifically used as a hotel facility by pilots who guide shipping in and out of the port of Basra in southern Iraq.
The $30 million superyacht was built for the late Iraqi president by a Danish shipyard, but Hussein never set foot on it.
Basrah Breeze spent most of its life abroad, but after a court battle, the Iraqi government got the yacht back on its shore in 2010. After failing to find a buyer, due to its hefty price tag, the government lent it to Basra University to use it as a marine research vessel.
Basrah Breeze is now moored it permanently in Basra and has become a hotel for shipping pilots, many of whom don’t permanently live in the Iraqi city.
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“The presidential yacht is in a very good condition. Its two engines and generators are functioning,” Reuters reports its captain Abdul-Zahra Abdul-Mahdi Saleh, saying. “It only needs periodic maintenance.”.
“The port needs the boat to be a station where sea pilots can rest,” Reuters reports Basra port spokesman Anmar al-Safi as saying.
Basrah Breeze boasts Hussein’s presidential suite, large dining rooms, dozens of bedrooms, 17 smaller guest cabins and 18 crew cabins. It was plushly decorated for the dictator and his quarters boast silk curtains and even a gold rimmed bathroom.
'Basrah Breeze,' Saddam Hussein's Superyacht, Turned Into Floating Hotel
Hussein's BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) — The king size bed in Saddam Hussein's superyacht is made, the silk curtains around it have been drawn back and, in the gold-rimmed bathroom next door, a barber's chair awaits its occupant.
But the Iraqi dictator never boarded the 82-meter (270-foot) "Basrah Breeze" built for him in 1981 — and its amenities will now be enjoyed by the pilots who guide shipping in and out of the port of Basra, the main southern city.
In common with other treasures left by Saddam, toppled in 2003 during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and hanged three years later for crimes against humanity, the governments that succeeded him have been struggling to find a use for the ship.
Watch: Saddam's superyacht ends up as hotel for sailors
Since Iraq got it back in 2010 following a court battle and a three-decade odyssey abroad, it has been mostly moored in Basra.
Equipped with a presidential suite comprising Saddam's private quarters, dining rooms and bedrooms, as well as 17 smaller guest rooms, 18 cabins for crew and a clinic, the opulently equipped and decorated vessel was put on the market for $30 million.
The government failed to find a buyer, and for the past two years the "Basrah Breeze" has served Basra University, hosting researchers on trips to study marine life.
"The presidential yacht is in a very good condition. Its two engines and generators are functioning," said Abdul-Zahra Abdul-Mahdi Saleh, its captain. "It only needs periodic maintenance."
But authorities have now decided to moor it permanently as a hotel and recreation facility for the southern port's pilots, many of whom live in distant cities.
"The port needs the boat to be a station where sea pilots can rest," said Basra port spokesman Anmar al-Safi.
Built by a Danish shipyard while Iraq was at war with Iran, the yacht was passed on to Saudi Arabia — then a Saddam ally — to protect it from air strikes on Basra, officials giving Reuters an exclusive tour said.
The kingdom, which fell out with Saddam after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, then handed the vessel over to Jordan. Its subsequent movements were unclear until Iraq tracked it down in the French resort of Nice, where a court seized it and sent it home.
While the "Basrah Breeze" survived the turmoil of Saddam's decline and demise, its sister ship "al-Mansur" — which he also never boarded — suffered a different fate, sinking in the Shatt al-Arab waterway that passes through Basra after it was hit by U.S. planes and then stripped bare in the chaotic aftermath of his overthrow.
Saddam had ordered it in 2003 to leave Umm Qasr, Iraq's biggest port outside Basra, where it had been moored, to Basra in a vain attempt to avoid air strikes.
"I told the captain of the yacht, who was a brigadier, to get rid of the military uniforms of the crew, weapons and munitions and pose as civilian ship in case it is caught by the American warships," said Ali Hussein, a port pilot who guided the yacht at the time.
As regards "Basrah Breeze", Basra museum has not given up hope of persuading the port to allow it to dock the vessel next to its exhibition halls in one of Saddam's former palaces overlooking the Shatt al-Arab.
"Future generations could see how a dictator lived," said Jawad Abdul Kadhim, the museum's deputy director.
(Additional reporting by Mohammed Kadhim Atti; editing by John Stonestreet)
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By SuperyachtNews 23 May 2018
Saddam Hussein’s presidential yacht repurposed as hotel
The 82m motoryacht, ‘basrah breeze’, will now operate as a hotel for maritime pilots in iraq….
On 22 May, Reuters reported that the 82m superyacht, Basrah Breeze , once owned by the former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, will now have a formal purpose as a hotel and recreation facility for maritime pilots who guide ships in and out of the port of Basra, Southern Iraq’s largest city.
The vessel was built for the Iraqi dictator in 1981, although he never reportedly set foot on board. Following a court case in 2010, Iraq recovered the yacht after it had spent three decades overseas, during which it changed hands a number of times, including a stint in Saudi Arabia under the ownership of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, however it has barely left Basra since its reclamation.
The Iraqi government listed the yacht for sale at $30 million upon her return, however, perhaps due to its acrimonious shrouding, it never found a buyer. For the last two years, the vessel has been used as a maritime research hub for Basra University while the government has struggled to find a formal use for the ship.
The king-sized bed, silk curtains and gold-rimmed bathroom of the master suite, highlighted by mainstream media as the yacht’s major selling points, are comparatively modest features when matched against the latest constructions gracing the water, however, the captain has told Reuters that the yacht is in good enough shape for its new purpose.
Images courtesy of Essam Al-Sudani
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Saddam’s luxury yacht to become a high-seas hotel.
Despite a presidential suite and luxurious guest rooms, the 270-foot Basrah Breeze is destined to become accommodation for pilots guiding shipping at Iraq's busiest port. May 23, 2018
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Saddam Hussein’s Former Superyacht Now a Hotel for Maritime Pilots in Iraq
Share this article.
Yacht called “Basrah Breeze”, once owned by former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, who was toppled in a U.S.-led invasion in 2003, is seen in the southern port of Basra, Iraq May 14, 2018. Picture taken May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani
But the Iraqi dictator never boarded the 82-meter (270-foot) “Basrah Breeze” built for him in 1981 – and its amenities will now be enjoyed by the pilots who guide shipping in and out of the port of Basra, the main southern city.
In common with other treasures left by Saddam, toppled in 2003 during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and hanged three years later for crimes against humanity, the governments that succeeded him have been struggling to find a use for the ship.
Since Iraq got it back in 2010 following a court battle and a three-decade odyssey abroad, it has been mostly moored in Basra.
Equipped with a presidential suite comprising Saddam’s private quarters, dining rooms and bedrooms, as well as 17 smaller guest rooms, 18 cabins for crew and a clinic, the opulently equipped and decorated vessel was put on the market for $30 million.
The government failed to find a buyer, and for the past two years the “Basrah Breeze” has served Basra University, hosting researchers on trips to study marine life.
“The presidential yacht is in a very good condition. Its two engines and generators are functioning,” said Abdul-Zahra Abdul-Mahdi Saleh, its captain. “It only needs periodic maintenance.”
But authorities have now decided to moor it permanently as a hotel and recreation facility for the southern port’s pilots, many of whom live in distant cities.
“The port needs the boat to be a station where sea pilots can rest,” said Basra port spokesman Anmar al-Safi.
Built by a Danish shipyard while Iraq was at war with Iran, the yacht was passed on to Saudi Arabia – then a Saddam ally – to protect it from air strikes on Basra, officials giving Reuters an exclusive tour said.
The kingdom, which fell out with Saddam after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, then handed the vessel over to Jordan. Its subsequent movements were unclear until Iraq tracked it down in the French resort of Nice, where a court seized it and sent it home.
While the “Basrah Breeze” survived the turmoil of Saddam’s decline and demise, its sister ship “al-Mansur” – which he also never boarded – suffered a different fate, sinking in the Shatt al-Arab waterway that passes through Basra after it was hit by U.S. planes and then stripped bare in the chaotic aftermath of his overthrow.
Saddam had ordered it in 2003 to leave Umm Qasr, Iraq’s biggest port outside Basra, where it had been moored, to Basra in a vain attempt to avoid air strikes.
“I told the captain of the yacht, who was a brigadier, to get rid of the military uniforms of the crew, weapons and munitions and pose as civilian ship in case it is caught by the American warships,” said Ali Hussein, a port pilot who guided the yacht at the time.
As regards “Basrah Breeze,” Basra museum has not given up hope of persuading the port to allow it to dock the vessel next to its exhibition halls in one of Saddam’s former palaces overlooking the Shatt al-Arab.
“Future generations could see how a dictator lived,” said Jawad Abdul Kadhim, the museum’s deputy director. (Additional reporting by Mohammed Kadhim Atti; editing by John Stonestreet)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018.
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Yacht, IMO 1000356
The vessel BASRAH BREEZE (IMO 1000356) is a Yacht built in 1981 (43 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Unknown .  Vessel Particulars
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Described as "not beautiful" by yard MD Esmann Olesen, it was nevertheless finished to a luxurious level and had 58mm-thick polycarbonate windows to protect from snipers. Its fate is unknown. Sam Fortescue investigates the strange history of Saddam Hussein's 82m superyacht Basrah Breeze.
BASRAH BREEZE is a 82m luxury motor mega yacht built in 1981 by Helsingor Vaerft. View similar yachts for Charter around the world
Saddam Hussein's 82-metre superyacht Basrah Breeze is still on the water today but his larger yacht, 121-metre al-Mansur suffered a different fate. Now lying in the shallow waters of a major Iraqi city, Katia Damborsky discovers how it has become an unusual floating base for locals fishing on the river.
Basrah Breeze wasn't always known by that name. She was built in 1981 as Qadissivat Saddam. She was glitzy and gilded from top to bottom, with accommodations for 28 guests and 35 crew. Hussein intended the superyacht to be a sister to Al Mansur, a larger yacht he used. But, he never actually set foot aboard Qadissivat Saddam.
BASRAH BREEZE is a 82m superyacht built by Helsingor Vaerft in Denmark and delivered in 1981. Explore her photos and specifications here.
The 82m Basrah Breeze superyacht, built for Saddam Hussein in 1981, has been turned into a hotel. The yacht is to be specifically used as a hotel facility by pilots who guide shipping in and out of the port of Basra in southern Iraq. The $30 million superyacht was built for the late Iraqi president by a Danish shipyard, but Hussein never set ...
The state of the Basrah Breeze is a far cry from the Al-Mansur, half-submerged, its rusty carcass protruding from the waters of Shatt al-Arab.
The yacht called. Hussein's BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) — The king size bed in Saddam Hussein's superyacht is made, the silk curtains around it have been drawn back and, in the gold-rimmed bathroom next door, a barber's chair awaits its occupant. But the Iraqi dictator never boarded the 82-meter (270-foot) "Basrah Breeze" built for him in 1981 ...
The interior is a time capsule bearing all the gilded trimmings typical of Saddam's taste for luxury The Basrah Breeze was delivered in 1981 The yacht has 13 rooms, three lounge areas and a helipad, and can carry 30 passengers and 35 crew The Basrah Breeze has a secret corridor leading to a submarine, offering an escape route
This aerial image shows the Basrah Breeze, a private yacht that was owned by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, moored in the Shatt al-Arab waterway, in Iraq's southern city of Basra, on March 2, 2023.
The 82m motoryacht, 'Basrah Breeze', will now operate as a hotel for maritime pilots in Iraq… On 22 May, Reuters reported that the 82m superyacht, Basrah Breeze, once owned by the former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, will now have a formal purpose as a hotel and recreation facility for maritime pilots who guide ships in and out of the port of Basra, Southern Iraq's largest city.
Saddam's luxury yacht to become a high-seas hotel. Despite a presidential suite and luxurious guest rooms, the 270-foot Basrah Breeze is destined to become accommodation for pilots guiding ...
Jun 18, 2012. Basrah Breeze (Ex-Ocean Breeze, Al Yamamah, Qadissiyat Saddam) LENGTH: 269ft. (82m) SHIPYARD: Helsingör, Denmark. YEAR: 1981. The fate of Saddam Hussein's former yacht is still unknown. Originally built for Hussein in Denmark in 1981, the yacht was listed by brokerage firm Burgess for some time with no apparent takers.
The 82-metre superyacht Basrah Breeze, built in 1981 for former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, now serves as a hotel and holiday base for navigators in the country's main southern port. During her history, she was briefly owned by the King of Saudi Arabia, was the subject of international litigation, and participated in a scientific expedition in the Persian Gulf. The yacht is now in perfect ...
Yacht called "Basrah Breeze", once owned by former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, who was toppled in a U.S.-led invasion in 2003, is seen in the southern port of Basra, Iraq May 14, 2018.
Saudi Arabia took over the yacht in 1988, renaming it to Al Yamanah. She was then named Ocean Breeze and is now believed to have been overtaken by the Iraqi state, under the name, Basrah Breeze. Ocean Breeze is a 82.00m (269.03 ft) luxury motor yacht. She was built by Helsingor Vaerft in 1981.
The yacht is famous for belonging to Saddam Hussein. After the execution of the dictator, the yacht became the subject of a lawsuit between Jordan, which claimed that Saddam Hussein had given it as a gift, and the Iraqi government, which demanded the return of its legitimate property. The French court ruled in favor of Iraq. Basrah Breeze is currently berthed in the port of Basra, and the ...
Vessel BASRAH BREEZE (IMO: 1000356 ) is a Yacht built in 1981 and currently sailing under the flag of Unknown.
Download the full charter brochure for luxury Motor Yacht "BASRAH BREEZE" to explore her beautiful interiors, guest accommodation and full range of amenities as well as outdoor living spaces. This comprehensive overview provides the best way to get a feel for the charter experience on offer and gives detailed and accurate specifications so that ...
Basrah Breeze is a motor yacht with a length of 82m. The yacht's builder is Helsingor Vaerft from Denmark who delivered the superyacht Basrah Breeze in 1981.
ROCKET launchers, swimming pools, a secret passage to a submarine and a helicopter landing pad all feature on board Saddam Hussein's 270ft superyacht "Basrah Breeze". Although it …
It may have never been used by him, but Saddam Hussein's presidential yacht has been turned into a hotel for pilots who guide shipping in and out of Iraq's B...