Al-Hashemi-II
Al-Hashemi-II is the largest dhow ever built, and is one of the largest wooden ships in the world today. It sits next to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Kuwait City, Kuwait.
![]() Stern view of Al-Hashimi-II | |
History | |
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Name: | Al-Hashemi-II |
Owner: | Husain Marafie |
Laid down: | 10 February 1997[1] |
Completed: | 2001 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Baghlah[2] |
Tonnage: | est. 2,500 t (2,461 long tons)[3] |
Length: | 83.75 m (274 ft 9 in) o/a[1] |
Beam: | 18.5 m (60 ft 8 in)[1] |
Propulsion: | None |
Development and design
Al-Hashemi-II was commissioned by Husain Marafie.[2] Planning began in 1985,[4] and actual construction began in 1997.[1] The ship cost more than $30 million to build.[5]
Used for meetings and events and advertised as the "largest dhow ever built",[6] it is one of the world's largest wooden ships. It has never been floated,[7] although it was built utilising traditional caulking and other water-tightness construction methods.[3] It is 83.75 m (274 ft 9 in) long, with a 18.5 m (60 ft 8 in) beam.[1]
Guinness Record
It is entered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest wooden dhow ever built,[7] appearing in the 2002 Guinness World Records under the caption "DHOW AMAZING!" and categorised as "Ships, largest Arabic dhow".[8]
The certificate records the length as slightly shorter than the claimed length, at 80.4 m (263 ft 9 in), and the width as slightly wider, at 18.7 m (61 ft 4 in).[9] There are different metrics used to record ship lengths, which may account for that variance.
References
- "About & Origin". Al Hashemi-II Ltd. p. 3.
- "About & Origin". Al Hashemi-II Ltd. p. 1.
- "About & Origin". Al Hashemi-II Ltd. p. 4.
- "About & Origin". Al Hashemi-II Ltd. p. 2.
- "World's Largest Wooden Ship Unveiled in Kuwait". CNN. 8 July 2001.
- "Meetings & Events". Radisson Blu.
- "Top tourism attractions in Kuwait city". Times of Oman. 8 June 2015.
- Guinness World Records 2002. Guinness World Records Limited. 2001. p. 311. ISBN 0851121241.
- "Guinness World Record". Al Hashemi-II Ltd. Archived from the original on 2017-01-20. Retrieved 2007-02-06.