Dubai Marina ultimatum: Join the club

Dubai Emaar, the Dubai Marina developer, has told yacht owners to join their newly built Dubai Marina Yacht Club or move out.

Brian Simpson, 51, a British expatriate, who has berthed his 32-foot yacht at the Dubai Marina for two years, said: "All Marina boat owners should have the choice to decide whether they want to join the club or not. They are trying to price us out of the area by levying such heavy fees."

Simpson showed XPRESS a copy of his last berth contract, which noted it was offered only on condition he join the club by yesterday or the contract would be considered terminated.

Clayton Mykytiw, a Canadian expatriate, said, "I just moved to the Marina and now they want Dh80,000 or else I must vacate the premises."

Poor facilities

Simpson pays almost Dh30,000 as yearly berthing fees and now has to pay a one-time fee of over Dh100,000 to become a member of the club.

"No other facility except the club house is completed. Why should people be asked to become members and pay for facilities that aren't completed?

"The Marina does not have shower or toilet facilities. There is no car parking for yacht owners and I have to pay Dh500 every time I need to go for an overnight stay in the yacht," he alleged.

"We only have water and electricity. The water supply is intermittent as it goes off two to three times a week," he added.

A spokesman of the club said, "We have had some cases of low water pressure at East Marina in the summer months.

"The issue is being addressed by Emaar's Facilities Manage-ment Group.

"We are also encouraging our berth holders to adopt more efficient water use practices."

Club's response

The Dubai Marina Yacht Club did not answer XPRESS when we asked why yacht owners had to join the new club. Instead General Manager Steve Stiglbauer sent a statement saying, "As part of our strategy to integrate the Marina services under one umbrella and maximise membership benefits, all berth-holders in the Dubai Marina canal have been given the opportunity to become members of the Dubai Marina Yacht Club. Members will have access to the club's premier facilities for entertaining friends and business colleagues."