The Dubai International Boat Show is preparing an official statement on whether its April 8-12 event will proceed, as escalating military conflict in the Middle East puts a series of powerboat racing events in the region under active review.
Nine days after DIBS closes, XCAT is scheduled to open its 2026 world championship in Fujairah, UAE, on April 17-19. The UIM MotoSurf World Championship is even closer: it is due to run in Fujairah on March 27-29, four weeks from now.
Both events sit in the path of a conflict that has moved quickly. US and Israeli strikes against Iran on Saturday 28 February were followed by Iranian retaliatory attacks across the Gulf, hitting targets in Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Marinas across the UAE are closed. Iran has reported the Strait of Hormuz closed, threatening to fire on any vessel attempting transit. Commercial air traffic through the region remains suspended, with Etihad Airways operating only limited repatriation and cargo flights under special approvals.
The physical damage to the UAE has been visible. The US Embassy, The Burj Al Arab and the Fairmont The Palm in Dubai have sustained damage in the strikes.
Richard Haws, chairman of Global Marine Business Advisors, told Marine Industry News:
“Leisure yachting – both participating and investing – requires stable, predictive environments to flourish. The outcomes of the current military campaign cannot yet be quantified as it is still ongoing, but it is unlikely to be positive for leisure marine growth in the short term across the GCC.”
Haws noted that the Arabian Gulf nearing the end of its boating season is a marginal factor, but added it was too soon to draw any conclusions.
The F1 Parallel
Formula 1 faces the same geography. The FIA has confirmed it is closely monitoring the situation ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 12 and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on April 19. A Pirelli tyre test in Bahrain was cancelled after security concerns intensified over the weekend, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stated that safety will be the determining factor for both races. European circuits including Imola and Mugello have been discussed as potential alternative venues should the Bahrain and Saudi rounds require relocation.
Powerboat racing has no equivalent contingency structure. When COVID-19 removed the Gulf from the 2020 schedule, F1H2O did not race at all. XCAT also went dark for the entire year. Only UIM F2 salvaged any competition, running one round in Lithuania and two in Portugal. Formula 1, by contrast, ran 17 races that year, rescheduling across Europe and adapting its calendar at speed.
Beyond April
The 2026 exposure extends well beyond the next six weeks. XCAT has Kuwait confirmed for October and Dubai for December. The F1H2O season finale is fixed at Sharjah on December 18-20. An unannounced F1H2O round at Jeddah remains among the six rounds still to be confirmed for the 2026 championship calendar.
Whether the conflict stabilises before DIBS issues its statement later this week will be the first public indicator of how the Gulf is reading its own near-term future.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
