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Nigerian-Lebanese telecom billionaire Bassim Haidar is listing his 208-foot yacht, “Bash,” for sale, according to a report by Architectural Digest.
The luxury vessel, which was originally named “Jonikal,” then “Sokar,” was first owned by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former owner of Harrods and the father of Princess Diana’s lover Dodi Al-Fayed. After the couple’s tragic death, Mohamed Al-Fayed tried to sell the yacht on several occasions before it was finally purchased in 2014. It was most recently bought by Haidar in June 2021. He is selling it just over a year later as he reportedly looks to purchase a larger vessel.
“Bash,” as the yacht is presently named, was designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s and constructed by Codecasa, a superyacht building firm, before it was officially launched in 1990. The luxury vessel can accomodate up to 18 people across nine staterooms and has rooms for 26 crew members. The yacht includes a swim platform, jacuzzi, sun deck, main saloon, a formal dining room, a bar, and office space. Full of dark wood paneling and coffered ceilings, the interiors are reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts style of the early 1900s.
The yacht’s Wartsila engines give it a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots. Although a specific price has not yet been posted, its previous listing price was $10 million.
Haidar, 51, is the founder of Channel VAS Group, which is a fintech provider of mobile financial services, airtime credit and airtime advance services, handset loans, and big data analytics.
