Al-Hashemi-II

The Al-Hashemi-II is a wooden dhow built in Kuwait City from 1997 and completed in 2001, over eighty metres long and holding a Guinness record as the largest wooden dhow ever built, constructed by Kuwaiti and Indian shipwrights using traditional methods on a scale far beyond anything the pearling fleet ever needed. It sits on land beside the Gulf Road with a maritime museum around it.

History

Husain Marafie commissioned the dhow; planning began in 1985 and building in 1997, and the ship, 83.75 metres long and 18.5 metres in the beam, cost more than $30 million and has never been floated (Wikipedia, Al-Hashemi-II).

What's there

• The scale - over eighty metres, recorded as the largest wooden dhow built.
• The traditional construction - built by shipwrights using dhow methods.
• The maritime museum - the display built around the vessel.
• The Gulf Road setting - the ship standing on land beside the corniche.

When to go

November to March is the cool season. Access to the interior depends on events and arrangement. Summer heat outside is extreme.

What to expect

The ship functions as an events venue and interior access is not always available. It was built as a showpiece rather than to sail. The setting on land rather than water is unusual.

Nearby

Salmiya is around it, and Kuwait Towers are northwest.

Key facts