The vessels sail across the water, serving snacks and drinks, are often found in Venice, Italy, and coastal cities in France.
However, floating restaurants such as these could also be found along the coasts of several GCC countries.
They are a popular destination for visitors and residents, especially because they provide a unique dining experience with a spectacular water view.
And they, along with floating hotels, could be a significant supporting player as the region aspires to increase its footprint as a global tourism hub.
Most prominent projects
The Saudi Red Sea Development Company has launched several floating projects in Saudi Arabia, which will be developed around four islands.
The projects, which took three weeks to identify, include floating villas over the water, restaurants, access points to two ultra-luxury hotels, and a luxury hotel.
All of these are to be developed on the land of the islands of Shebara and Umm al-Sheikh.
The Umm al-Sheikh island is expected to include a luxury hotel and one ultra-luxurious resort.
The first phase includes the development of 14 hotels with 3,000 hotel rooms on five islands and two resorts in mountainous and desert areas, entertainment facilities, and a private international airport.
The first guests are expected to arrive at the Red Sea project by the end of 2022.
UAE establishments
The UAE is also well-known for several floating restaurants, with Dubai being the most popular destination for floating hotels that offer five-star services.
These floating restaurants are supervised by the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the governmental agency in charge of overseeing, regulating, and managing various areas of the maritime sector in Dubai.
The DMCA monitors the work of the floating restaurants and ensures that they comply with the required standards.
Concerning these restaurants, DMCA Executive Director Amer Ali has said the marine sector would continue to grow in Dubai.
He added that these are popular tourist destinations, which attract investors looking to capitalize on opportunities in various related fields.
Qetaifan projects in Qatar
As a part of its preparations for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar aims to construct 16 floating hotels in 2022.
The Qetaifan Projects, a company owned by Katara Hospitality, has signed an agreement with ADMARES, which specializes in alternative real estate, to build and operate 16 floating hotels on the northern shores of the Qetaifan Island to provide accommodation for fans within the fan villages during the World Cup.
Each of these hotels is expected to have a distinct design: 72 meters high and 16 meters wide, with a height of four floors and a capacity of 101 rooms.
Akbar Al-Baker, Secretary-General of the Qatar National Tourism Council, said in November 2019 that two cruise ships, which had begun trips from Qatar along the Gulf, would become five-star floating hotels for World Cup spectators in 2022.
Qetaifan Island North is also known as Qatar’s first tourist recreational island since it includes six beaches and a distinctive waterfront for the city.
Its total area is 103 million square meters, with the island’s projects covering around 830,000 square meters.
Projects in Oman
Oman launched its first floating restaurant in 2017 on a ship called Al Ain.
It has two halls, one of which is closed and air-conditioned, while the other on the upper level is open.
The initiative was new for Oman, combining tourist restaurants with maritime tourism within the framework of Omani heritage since the ship visits Omani islands.