A used boat show is set to open on May 15 in Bahrain, which will also feature yachts and jet skis and some brand new vessels, accessories and safety gear.

The event will run at the Amwaj Marina on until May 17, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Prices will vary but top-of-the-line yachts on sale are expected to fetch anywhere between BD180,000 ($476,430) and BD300,000, Amwaj Marina general manager Ali Al Fardan told the GDN.

"The show features second-hand boats and is the first of its kind in Bahrain," he said. "There will be 30 boats and yachts and about 15 jet skis. All the jet skis are second-hand, but half the boats are new and the rest are second-hand.”

"We also have a local Bahraini company called Donut Al Khaleej that has been producing small boats. They're not meant for the open sea but more appropriate for shallower waters and inlets."

He added that the exhibition was not intended as competition for the Bahrain Boat Show International (BBSI), which had to be cancelled in March due to development work at Amwaj.

"We're doing this for local companies," said Al Fardan.

"We don't want to cause a clash between the Amwaj Marina Pre-Owned Boat Show and BBSI. They're for different markets," he said, adding that the decision to create the show was made when the marina kept receiving requests for boats.

"I noticed a lot of people come and ask about boats. I've also noticed boats docked that never move and some even in front of people's houses, so we thought about putting this exhibition together. We're hoping for a turnout of about 5,000 people and if it's successful, we will aim to make it an annual event."

Al Fardan said various companies were involved in the show, including a local company that produces lifejackets for pets, alongside chartering and water sports companies.

Of the boats on sale, eight will be in the water ready for sea trials while the rest will be displayed on land and can be taken out the following day for testing, he added. – TradeArabia News Service