The 82-metre superyacht Basrah Breeze, built in 1981 for former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, now serves as a hotel and holiday base for navigators in the country's main southern port. During her history, she was briefly owned by the King of Saudi Arabia, was the subject of international litigation, and participated in a scientific expedition in the Persian Gulf. The yacht is now in perfect condition and moored in the port of Basra.
The yacht, which was launched by Helsingor Vaerft shipyard in Denmark, was originally named Qadissiyat Saddam (in honour of the victory in the war against Persia). She is powered by a pair of MTU 12V 1163 TB82 3000 hp engines, giving her a top speed of 19 knots.
She has 14 cabins, including the presidential suite, and 18 bunks for the crew.
But the gilded bathroom, silk curtains, and king-sized bed never made it to the owner, who was never on board his luxurious superyacht because of the war with Iran.
In the mid-1980s, Hussein presented the yacht as a gift to King Fahd bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. The vessel then changed hands several times before coming into the possession of a company in the Cayman Islands. After the execution of Saddam Hussein in 2007, the firm put the yacht up for sale, but was unable to complete the sale when the Iraqi government repossessed Basrah Breeze.
The boat was moored in a port in the Iraqi city of Basra and had not been used for a long time. The government tried to sell the yacht for $30 million, but having failed to find a buyer, transferred her to the research fleet of the Maritime Science University of Basra. The yacht's interior was modified to accommodate Iraqi scientists, yet much of the original decor remains intact.
«The port needs a boat to be a place where navigators can rest», said Anmar al-Safi, a port official.
While the Basrah Breeze outlived its first owner, another vessel owned by Hussein called al-Mansur (which he also never boarded) suffered a different fate - it was sunk in a U.S. aerial bombardment near Basra.
