No new land. No construction in Phase 1.
Run from existing hotel beaches and marinas on a revenue share with the host.
DCT Abu Dhabi · Strategic phasing proposal · October 2026
A phased path to
Abu Dhabi Aequora.
Start with extraordinary water experiences. Connect the islands with zero-emission hydrofoils. Create a floating destination. Three phases, one integrated vision—each producing the evidence the next needs.
Discover the approach A proposed destination.
Fahid Island shown for illustration.
Fahid Island shown for illustration.
3Connected phases
One guest experience
One guest experience
100%Zero-emission
operating ambition
operating ambition
0Seabed works
in the proposed approach
in the proposed approach
The approachBuild the experience.
Build the experience.
Then build the destination.
Following our meeting on 14 October 2026, this proposal sets out how water activities, a zero-emission hydrofoil shuttle and a zero-footprint floating resort can arrive in sequence. Begin at existing hotel beaches and marinas. Validate demand and safety. Scale with evidence, not assumptions.
Phase 01 · Water Riders®
Prove
Water experiences at partner hotels. Build demand, operating data and a clean safety record.
Phase 02 · Aequora Shuttle Services®
Connect
Electric hydrofoil connections between islands, the mainland and, subject to approvals, Dubai.
Phase 03 · Aequora Living®
Anchor
A floating hospitality ecosystem, with the club as its activities and the shuttle as guest access.
Preparation runs in parallel where needed. Operational expansion remains conditional on the evidence gates. All dates are proposed and subject to permits, investment and delivery.
2026 – 2030One vision.
One vision.
A measured sequence.
The vessel order starts early. The club proves the market. The pilot earns the full resort.
| Proposed delivery | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 · Water activitiesWater Riders® | Mobilize November | Soft launch Q2 Full season October | Operations & training camps | Demand-led expansion | Ongoing operations |
| 02 · Hydrofoil shuttleAequora Shuttle Services® | Order 2 vessels By 31 December | Build, routes & permits | Island service Early 2028 | Route & fleet expansion* | Data-led growth* |
| 03 · Floating resortAequora Living® | Phasing & introductions | Site selection & feasibility | Pilot restaurant & first suites | Resort opening From late 2029 | Scale on pilot results |
PreparationOperationsKey milestone*Subject to data, permits and agreed operating frameworks.
2026
Prove: mobilization begins in November.
Connect: two-vessel order by 31 December.
2027
Prove: soft launch Q2; full season from October.
Connect: vessel build, routes, charging and permits.
Anchor: site selection and feasibility.
2028
Connect: island service from early 2028.
Anchor: pilot restaurant and first suites.
Prove: ongoing clubs and training camps.
2029
Anchor: resort opening from late 2029.
Connect: demand-led fleet and route growth, subject to permits.
2030
One ecosystem: hospitality scaled on pilot results, supported by proven activities and shuttle operations.
Permits, safety and demand come first.
Every operational phase has a clear evidence gate before the next scale decision.
Human-powered leisure. Electric mobility.
The proposed structures float, with no dredging or seabed works. Environmental clearance remains essential.
01
Phase 01 · ProveWater Riders®
November 2026 – October 2027
Then ongoing
Then ongoing
Start with the water.
Prove the experience.
A Water Riders® Club hosted by one to three Abu Dhabi hotels with beach or marina frontage. A bike foil academy, training camps and rentals sit alongside guided water-bike, underwater-scooter and electric sea-scooter experiences.
Start where guests already are.
Indicative investment
≈ EUR 200,000
Equipment and development. Excludes import, base setup and working capital.
What we ask of DCT
Introductions to early investors and two or three hotel operators with beach or marina frontage; a letter of support for activity permits.
Evidence gate · Phase 1 → 2
Permits in place, a clean safety record over a full season, utilization and guest-demand data, and host hotels willing to renew.
Delivery sequence, fleet & investment detail
- Mobilize, November 2026 to March 2027. Finalize the new supercar-inspired flotation fairing and import the upgraded Mobula® bike foils, order the fleet, sign the first host hotel, and obtain activity permits from Abu Dhabi Maritime.
- Soft launch, second quarter of 2027. Open at the first host hotel ahead of the summer, with bike foils, water bikes, underwater scooters, and electric scooters.
- Full season, from October 2027. Bike foil academy and training camps open for the 2027–28 high season; second and third host sites follow demand.
- Fleet
- Mobula® Bike foils
- Mobula® Water bikes
- SEABOB SE63 underwater scooters
- Searider Seacruiser and Searacer electric sea scooters
- Indicative investment
- About EUR 200,000 in equipment and development: bike foils upgrade about EUR 50,000, water bikes about EUR 30,000, two SEABOB SE63 about EUR 65,000, one Seacruiser and one Searacer about EUR 57,000. Excludes import, base setup, and working capital.
Independent fairing design studies. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Bugatti or Lamborghini.
02
Phase 02 · ConnectAequora Shuttle Services®
Order by 31 December 2026
Service from early 2028
Service from early 2028
Bring the islands closer.
Quietly, above the water.
Two fully electric MobyFly MBFY-S hydrofoils link the islands and mainland with a quiet, wake-light ride. The 12–20 passenger configuration is chosen at order. Yas, Saadiyat, Fahid and the Corniche form the proposed initial loop, with partner hotels as stops.
Island connections first. Dubai follows the evidence.
Indicative investment
≈ CHF 5.1 million
Two vessels with a 10-year service contract, ex-works Europe. Excludes transport, import, landing points and charging.
What we ask of DCT
Introductions to Abu Dhabi Maritime and the Integrated Transport Centre; investors or operators ready to co-fund the two-vessel order before 31 December 2026.
Evidence gate · Phase 2 → 3
Ridership, punctuality and safety data; proven island-route economics; an agreed operating framework for the Abu Dhabi–Dubai link.
Delivery sequence, fleet & investment detail
- Order, by 31 December 2026. Each vessel takes 12 months to build. A two-vessel order this year is what makes service in early 2028 possible.
- Prepare, during 2027. Route survey, landing points, charging and permits with Abu Dhabi Maritime and the Integrated Transport Centre while the vessels are built in Portugal.
- Island and mainland routes, from early 2028. A loop linking Yas, Saadiyat, Fahid and the Corniche, with partner hotels as stops and connections to the existing water-taxi network.
- Abu Dhabi to Dubai. Premium scheduled and charter transfers once both emirates' authorities have agreed the operating framework. More vessels are added as route data justifies them.
- Vessel
- MobyFly MBFY-S: fully electric; 12 to 20 passengers, configuration chosen at order; flies over waves up to 2.5 m; up to 60 km/h; up to 140 km range (manufacturer figures).
- Range check
- Abu Dhabi to Dubai is roughly 90 to 100 km by sea depending on the terminals. That is inside the stated range; sea trials will confirm the reserve at cruising speed before the route opens.
- Indicative investment
- About CHF 5.1 million for two vessels with a 10-year service contract, ex-works Europe. Excludes transport, import, landing points and charging. CAPEX option: 35% of the vessel price is due at order. OPEX option: monthly installment over 10 years, including service and maintenance, and 15% residual.
03
Phase 03 · AnchorAequora Living®
Site & feasibility in 2027
Pilot 2028 · Opening from late 2029
Pilot 2028 · Opening from late 2029
A destination that floats.
A legacy that lasts.
The Abu Dhabi Aequora floating hospitality ecosystem brings the Water Riders® Club and electric hydrofoil shuttle into one guest experience. A floating restaurant and first suites precede the full resort, with scale determined by pilot results.
Zero-footprint, zero-emission hospitality by design.
Fahid Island illustrates the concept, not a confirmed site. DCT’s recommendation for the best location is welcomed. Environmental objectives remain subject to feasibility and clearance.
Indicative investment
Site-led investment
Sized once the site is selected. The full business plan follows the approach of the Dubai Aequora plan already shared with DCT.
What we ask of DCT
A site recommendation from the eco-tourism team; introductions to the site’s master developer, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and hospitality investors.
Evidence gate · Pilot → full resort
Site agreement, environmental clearance, and pilot occupancy and guest ratings at target.
Delivery sequence, fleet & investment detail
- Site and feasibility, 2027. Site shortlist with DCT's eco-tourism team, environmental baseline and master-developer agreement.
- Pilot module, 2028. A floating restaurant and first suites, built with a UAE partner, to test operations and guest response.
- Resort opening, from late 2029. Full ecosystem, scaled on pilot results.
- Indicative investment
- Sized once the site is selected; the full business plan follows the approach of the Dubai Aequora plan already shared with DCT.
Beyond the first two vesselsBuild the fleet
Build the fleet
in Abu Dhabi.
The first two vessels are planned to be built in Portugal by the first MobyFly licensor, for service in early 2028. Every vessel after that could be built here.
We propose partnering with an Abu Dhabi shipyard to take over the MobyFly GCC license and build the MBFY-S—and later MobyFly’s upcoming larger hydrofoil vessel—for the whole GCC region.
What we ask of DCT: introductions to shipyards capable of composite and electric-vessel construction, and to authorities supporting industrial investment in the emirate.
Jobs and expertise in Abu Dhabi
Composite hull, foil and electric-propulsion assembly, commissioning and regional after-sales service.
A closer, faster supply chain
Build near the operating routes to shorten lead times for the fleet beyond the first two.
Remove the Europe-to-GCC leg
Reduce reliance on shipping finished vessels from Europe and its associated import costs. Integrate landing points and charging into the local supply chain.
The date that sets the timetable31 December
31 December
2026.
Vessels are built to order in 12 months. A two-vessel order by the end of this year, with an OPEX acquisition at signature, is what allows the proposed shuttle to enter service in early 2028.
A later order moves Phase 2—and with it the guest access for Phase 3—by the same number of months. Financing alternatives and exclusions are detailed in Phase 2.
The DCT partnershipThe right introductions.
The right introductions.
At the right moment.
DCT’s role is to connect, not to invest. These introductions unlock each phase, in the order they are needed.
Phase 01Prove
Early investors and two or three hotel operators with beach or marina frontage; a letter of support for activity permits with Abu Dhabi Maritime.
Phase 02Connect
Abu Dhabi Maritime and the Integrated Transport Centre; investors or operators ready to co-fund the two-vessel order.
Phase 02+Build locally
Abu Dhabi shipyards for a local MobyFly build partnership under the GCC license; authorities supporting industrial investment.
Phase 03Anchor
A site recommendation from the eco-tourism team; the site’s master developer; the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; hospitality investors.
One connected experienceClear roles.
01 / WATER EXPERIENCES 02 / ELECTRIC CONNECTIVITY
mobyfly-gcc.boats 03 / FLOATING HOSPITALITY
Clear roles.
Aligned operators.
Water Riders®
The bike foil academy and water-sports club. First bike foil master distributor in France in 2022; water-bike clubs in Switzerland and France from 2023 to 2025; developer of the upgraded Mobula® flotation system.
water-riders.comAequora Shuttle Services®
The hydrofoil shuttle. Cyrille C. Catel is the official GCC agent for MobyFly, the Swiss maker of the MBFY-S.
aequora-shuttle.servicesmobyfly-gcc.boats
Aequora Living®
The floating resort, bringing the activities and shuttle together into one guest experience. A zero-footprint, zero-emission concept designed for the Abu Dhabi coastline.
abudhabi-aequora.luxuryFrom proposal to progressThe next conversation
The next conversation
starts here.
Proposal originator · APX Vision FZE
Cyrille C. Catel
Founder · Aequora Living® · Aequora Shuttle Services® · Water Riders®
Available for meetings, site visits and partnership discussions. Official MobyFly GCC business development agent.
APX Vision FZE · License L-4837 · Sheikh Rashid Tower, Dubai World Trade Centre