PCFC brings all Dubai marinas under one digital roof for yacht owners

Dubai: Yacht and boat owners in Dubai will soon be able to find and reserve marina berths with a tap on their phones. That is the promise behind a new digital platform being rolled out by the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC).

Speaking at Gitex Global, Ahmed Saleh, Head of Demand and Relationship Management at PCFC, said the system will integrate all marinas under one network. “We are creating this platform by connecting all the marinas in one digital platform where they will publish all their available berth within their marinas,” he said.

Users will log in via UAE Pass, browse available slots with visual maps and diagrams, select a berth, and submit a request to the marina operator. The operator then negotiates terms for long or short stays and finalises the contract digitally. “The user will see all the conditions, the terms, and he will start signing this agreement digitally,” Saleh explained.

For short stays, typically by crew needing nearby facility access, the system is being enhanced to support immediate bookings and integrated payment gateways.

PCFC is soft-launching the initiative within its own Dubai marinas first. “We are starting with our marinas, which belongs to the PCFC. Then it will be across all the marinas in Dubai, then we can offer it as a solution for all other emirates and globally as well,” Saleh said.

He noted the practical convenience, “rather than keep searching for which marina suits them and make a phone call, wherever you are, it will help you facilitate everything.”

This move comes at a time when marina infrastructure and berthing services in Dubai are expanding rapidly. For example, Marasi Bay Marina already offers 115 berths for yachts up to 35 metres long. Meanwhile, Dubai Marina Yacht Club provides shelter for over 550 yachts. 

Dubai’s marina sector is competitive, with multiple entities operating side by side. In contrast to the fragmented booking channels currently in place, often involving phone calls, staggered websites and delays, PCFC’s app seeks to centralise availability and streamline the customer journey.

PCFC itself is no stranger to digital transformation. It's PCFC Digital mobile app already acts as a unified gateway for various services, including marine craft licenses, port permits, and regulatory approvals. This new marina-booking system is a natural extension of that ambition.

The success of this system will depend on buy-in from private and public marina operators, real-time data integration, and user uptake. If successful in Dubai, PCFC hopes to license the model to other emirates and perhaps even internationally.