Superyacht Marina to secure Lima's future?

KUALA LUMPUR: Genting Malaysia Bhd's planned superyacht marina can help position Langkawi as a higher-value maritime and tourism hub, while boosting its appeal to high-spending visitors.

The project, which is expected to welcome its first yachts in the second half of 2027, could also strengthen the island's case as the home of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima), industry experts said.

This comes as certain quarters have called for Lima to be moved out of Langkawi, citing constraints including accessibility, infrastructure and the island's capacity to host a larger-scale exhibition.

UniKL Business School economic analyst Associate Professor Dr Aimi Zulhazmi Abdul Rashid said the proposed marina could complement Lima's existing defence, aerospace, maritime and tourism pillars by adding luxury yachting and marine conventions.

"Adding a superyacht adds the fifth pillar which is luxury yachting or marine conventions," Aimi told Business Times.

Aimi said a superyacht marina provides Lima a permanent "show and sail" facility where naval vessels, coast guard and maritime tech exhibitors can dock all year-round.

He described Lima as the "best marketing tool" for the marina, saying the combination could help position Langkawi as a regional maritime hub.

This will transform Langkawi from a five-day event site into a 365-day maritime demo hub.

"Lima provides the global branding, the marina provides the permanent infrastructure. One without the other is weaker.

"This will strengthen the Langkawi branding as a premium tourism spot in the region. The infrastructures are already available in the well known Island," he said.

A Question Of Lima's Future

The potential synergy comes as the government weighs the longer-term future of Lima.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin recently said the government was exploring alternative venues, including Klebang in Melaka, if Langkawi becomes unsuitable to host the exhibition in future.

Mohamed Khaled said the move was being considered amid the need for more space and better facilities as competing defence exhibitions emerge in the region.

"Looking at Klebang, it is not far from Batu Berendam, which has an airport, and ships can also berth here. So, this is actually a location that could serve as an alternative to Langkawi.

"When Lima is held in Langkawi, not many people are able to attend. But if it is held in Melaka, people from across the country could come.

"So, this is an alternative that we can explore, although as Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said, it would require very substantial investment," he said.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, meanwhile, has argued that Lima's international brand should be preserved, saying shortcomings should be addressed rather than simply moving the exhibition.

"We have spent decades building up Lima's brand at the international level, and fundamentally, it has been accepted. The presence of international defence companies is proof of this.

"If there is a major need to have another related exhibition that Lima cannot accommodate, then organise another exhibition that is more targeted," Dr Mahathir said in a post on Threads.

Marina Investment Still Under Wraps

Genting Malaysia, through Resorts World Langkawi, is partnering with Singapore-listed SUTL Enterprise Ltd's ONE°15 Marina to develop the marina, which will have more than 90 berths and accommodate superyachts of up to 140 feet.

Its location could also create a regional cruising link between ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove in Singapore and ONE°15 Marina Panwa Phuket in Thailand.

While Genting Malaysia has not disclosed the investment value of the proposed ONE°15 Marina Langkawi, industry estimates suggest that developing a facility capable of handling superyachts could require significant capital.

Maritime industry and logistics expert Nazery Khalid said the cost could range from US$15 million to US$65 million for a mid-sized superyacht marina, depending on the scale and specifications.

Nazery said a larger mega-destination marina built from scratch could cost between US$65 million and US$120 million, particularly if it includes integrated retail, dining, club and other lifestyle components.

He also estimated that deep-water basin dredging and wall reinforcement needed to achieve a draft of around six metres could cost between US$1 million and US$5 million, depending on tidal conditions and seabed topography.

A Regional Maritime Ecosystem

Aimi said the key question was therefore not simply whether Lima should remain in Langkawi, but whether the exhibition and new maritime infrastructure could be developed together to create a stronger year-round economic ecosystem.

"If Lima is relocated, the marina loses its biggest annual lead generator. A marina without Lima is just another marina. Together, they could be a regional maritime brand," he said.