A stunning superyacht that featured in a James Bond film and was once owned by Donald Trump has ploughed into a marina wall in Tunisia in a mysterious – and undoubtedly very costly – crash.
Kingdom 5KR – a sleek 280ft-long vessel that the producers of the Bond caper Never Say Never Again evidently believed was fit for a supervillain – smashed into the quayside of Tunisia’s Bizerte port on Friday.
A slew of images circulating on social media showed how the quay sustained considerable damage, while the hull of the multi-million dollar boat was also visibly cracked and dented.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, but initial speculation suggests a mechanical failure or some kind of miscommunication occurred given how the yacht appeared unable to stop and rammed head-on into the quay.
There were no reports of major injuries, though the financial implications of the damage to both the port and the vessel itself are sure to be significant and will be revealed amid an investigation by Bizerte’s Maritime Guard.
The yacht Kingdom 5KR, owned by Saudi billionaire Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud, suffered significant damage in the port of Bizerte after hitting a quay
There were no reports of major injuries, though the financial implications of the damage to both the port and the vessel itself are sure to be significant
Kingdom 5KR was one of the world’s most luxurious and opulent crafts when it was commissioned in the 80s and remains in the upper echelon of superyachts even four decades later
FILE PHOTO: Real estate developer Donald Trump and his wife, Ivana, pose aboard their new luxury yacht The Trump Princess docked at the 30th Street pier on the East River in New York City, Monday, July 4, 1988 – some 28 years before he would become US president
FILE PHOTO: The filming of 1983 James Bond Film Never Say Never Again is pictured aboard a ship that was then named the Nabila and owned by Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi
Weighing in at some 1,768 tons, the superyacht boasts a host of amenities including a spa, gym, pool and jacuzzi, and even a helipad
The ship, envisioned by famed designer Jon Bannenberg and built by Italy’s prestigious Benetti shipyard, was first launched in 1980 under the name Nabila after the daughter of its first owner, Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi.
But it gained notoriety three years after its maiden voyage when it featured as ‘The Flying Saucer’ – the floating lair of villainous agent Maximilian Largo in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again, which was also Sean Connery’s final outing as 007.
Later that decade, Nabila earned even more weight in popular culture as the inspiration behind the song ‘Khashoggi’s Ship’, penned by British rock band Queen in 1989.
Since then it has had a string of high-profile owners, including the Sultan of Brunei and Donald Trump.
But the financial strain of purchasing, owning and operating a mega-vessel worth some $90 million proved too much even for the man who went on to become US President, and he sold it on.
Eventually, the yacht returned to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and for decades has been in the possession of Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, another notable business magnate who gave the ship its current name.
Al-Waleed reportedly derived the name Kingdom 5KR from a few near and dear sources – the name of his investment company, his lucky number, and his children’s initials.
Trump is pictured taking a phone call aboard the Trump Princess in 1988
Real estate developer Donald Trump waves to reporters with his wife, Ivana, as they board their luxury yacht The Trump Princess in New York City on Monday, July 4, 1988
The Kingdom 5KR superyacht is pictured
The jacuzzi aboard the superyacht is pictured
Eventually, the yacht returned to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and for decades has been in the possession of Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, another notable business magnate who gave the ship its current name
Kingdom 5KR was one of the world’s most luxurious and opulent crafts when it was commissioned in the 80s and remains in the upper echelon of superyachts even four decades later.
Weighing in at some 1,768 tons, the superyacht boasts a host of amenities including a spa, gym, pool and jacuzzi, and even a helipad.
But despite its enormous bulk, a pair of massive diesel engines can propel the vessel up to a speed of 20 knots, or 23 miles per hour.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
