A stunning superyacht that featured in a James Bond film and was once owned by Donald Trump has plowed into a marina wall in Tunisia in a mysterious – and undoubtedly very costly – crash.
Kingdom 5KR – a sleek 85-metre-long ship that the producers of the Bond caper Never Say Never Again apparently believed was fit for a supervillain – crashed into the quay of the Tunisian port of Bizerte on Friday.
A series of images circulating on social media showed the quay sustaining significant 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 miscommunication as the yacht appeared unable to stop and rammed head-on into the dock.
There have been no reports of serious injuries, although the financial impact of the damage to both the port and the ship itself will certainly be significant and will be revealed during an investigation by the Bizerte 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 have been no reports of major injuries, although the financial impact of the damage to both the port and the ship itself will certainly be significant.
Kingdom 5KR was one of the world’s most luxurious and opulent crafts when it was commissioned in the 1980s and even forty years later still stands in the upper echelon of superyachts
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
FILE PHOTO: Filming of the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again is pictured aboard a ship then called the Nabila and owned by Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi
Weighing approximately 1,768 tonnes, the superyacht boasts a range of amenities including a spa, gym, swimming pool and jacuzzi, and even a helipad.
The ship, designed by famed designer Jon Bannenberg and built by the prestigious Italian shipyard Benetti, was first launched in 1980 under the name Nabila, after the daughter of the first owner, Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi.
But it rose to prominence three years after its maiden voyage when it appeared as ‘The Flying Saucer’ – the floating lair of evil agent Maximilian Largo in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again, which was also Sean Connery’s final appearance as 007.
Later that decade, Nabila gained even more weight in popular culture as the inspiration for the song “Khashoggi’s Ship,” written by British rock band Queen in 1989.
Since then it has had a series of high-profile owners, including the Sultan of Brunei and Donald Trump.
But the financial pressures of buying, owning and operating a megaship worth some $90 million proved too much even for the man who would later become US president, and he sold it on.
Ultimately, the yacht returned to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was owned for decades by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, another notable business magnate who gave the ship its current name.
Al-Waleed reportedly took the name Kingdom 5KR from some near and dear sources: the name of his investment company, his lucky number and the initials of his children.
Trump is pictured making a phone call aboard the Trump Princess in 1988
Real estate developer Donald Trump and his wife Ivana wave to reporters 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 on board the superyacht is pictured
Ultimately, the yacht returned to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was owned for decades by 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 1980s and, even forty years later, still ranks among the top superyachts.
Weighing approximately 1,768 tonnes, the superyacht boasts a range of amenities including a spa, gym, swimming pool and jacuzzi, and even a helipad.
But despite its enormous size, a pair of massive diesel engines can propel the ship to a speed of 20 knots, or 27 miles per hour.