Al Salamah (ex-Mipos)

LENGTH: 456ft. 2in. (139m)
SHIPYARD: HDW/Lurssen, Germany
YEAR: 1999

Deputy Prime Minister Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, was widely thought to own Al Salamah, which Terence Disdale designed and the German shipyard HDW built in association with Lürssen. The shipyard, which launched the yacht in 1999 under the name Mipos—allegedly for “Mission Possible”—sees the vessel return every so often for maintenance. Twin 20-cylinder MTUs developing 8,056hp each allow this displacement yacht to reach a 21-knot top speed. Despite her imposing superstructure and gigantic volume she has elegant, classical lines. The late Prince bin Adul Aziz al Saud, son of the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, had been deputy prime minister since 1982. He died in October 2011. An important personality in international politics, he was also chairman of Saudi Arabian Airlines and Governor of Riyadh. His son, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, is the former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States.

All photography contained within the Top 100 web pages remain the sole property of their photographers and may not be copied, sold, reused or distributed without the express permission of the owner.