Industry executives and marine engineers say Azzam’s most unusual feature — other than its size — is its propulsion system. Rather than being powered by propellers like most yachts, it will have four giant water jets that will be able to push the ship to speeds of more than 27 to 28 knots.

“We’ve never seen a yacht close to this size with water jets,” said one marine engineer. “This will be a very fast boat.”

The new craft's owner has become the subject of widespread speculation. Yet industry executives say the owner is a member of one of the royal families in the Middle East. The Middle East is striving to become a global yachting center, with a growing number of yacht shows and mega-yacht marinas. Taking the title of world's largest yacht from Russia would further boost its image.

It’s unclear whether Azzam — which means “determination” in Arabic — will have some of the aggressive security systems or secret submarines of many of today’s Russian yachts.

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