Photos of world leader's massive yacht spark outrage: 'No class'

A bystander in Tarragona, Spain, came across a huge yacht docked at a local port. They snapped a few pics and shared them with r/yachtporn.

"It's the Emir of Qatar's yacht," the OP said. "A crew of 56 people and an estimated cost between 300 and 500 million dollars."

The yacht, named the Al Lusail, allegedly has an indoor pool and can accommodate about 36 guests in addition to the crew, according to SuperYachtFan.

Yachts like the Al Lusail are the ultimate status symbol among billionaires. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, for example, dished out $500 million on a new superyacht, while businessman Lorenzo Fertitta owns two.

With these purchases typically comes public backlash. And for good reason — all that luxury comes at a price. Firstly, it takes a massive amount of energy and resources to run ships of that size. While the exact cost to run the Al Lusail is unknown, Rupert Connor from Luxury Yacht Group told CNN that a 150-foot superyacht costs about $2 million annually. Much of that money goes into fuel, which usually comes from planet-warming fossil fuels, at least in part.

Even if a superyacht uses a hybrid or electric propulsion system, it does not outweigh the overall harm done to the environment. A 2024 Oxfam paper on 23 superyachts found that each one released over 5,000 tons of carbon, an insurmountable amount of pollution that would take an average person nearly 900 years to release.

What's more, Oxfam reports that superyachts are exempt from International Maritime Organization pollution rules, making it difficult to hold billionaires accountable.

For their part, commenters were less than impressed with the Al Lusail. "[Am] I the only one who doesn't like it?" the top comment reads.

"It looks like it's trying to be a Carnival cruise ship," another commenter said. "No class, all trash."

Should the ultra-wealthy pay a tax to help offset their environmental impact? Absolutely 💯 Depends how they're taxed 💰 Only corporations should pay those 🏭 No way 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.