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Nakheel considering new berthing options for ship
The Dubai owner of the Queen Elizabeth 2 is weighing plans to open the British cruise ship as a floating hotel elsewhere in the Middle East or Africa rather than in Dubai.
- AP
- Published: 23:02 July 12, 2009
Dubai: The Dubai owner of the Queen Elizabeth 2 is weighing plans to open the British cruise ship as a floating hotel elsewhere in the Middle East or Africa rather than in Dubai.
In an e-mail on Sunday, ship owner Nakheel said that other ports have expressed interest in hosting the vessel and that it is evaluating those options before going ahead with a planned refurbishment.
The property developer had originally planned to renovate the ship and turn it into a luxury hotel berthed alongside the company's manmade, tree-shaped Palm Jumeirah island off the Dubai coast.
It has been moored at Dubai's downtown Port Rashid since its highly publicised arrival in November.
"In addition to alternative locations in Dubai, other ports in the Middle East and Africa have also expressed an interest in hosting this impressive maritime icon," the company said.
Nakheel did not name possible ports for the ship or provide a reason for the move.
It said it is seeking "to ensure opportunities to experience QE2 in her current condition are maximised while ensuring her important heritage is at all times protected."
South Africa's Business Day newspaper, citing a spokeswoman for the country's tourism department, reported that Nakheel has applied to anchor the ship in Cape Town.
The spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday.
Nakheel late last year announced it was cutting 500 jobs, or about 15 per cent of its staff.
A Nakheel spokeswoman declined to say how many employees have been let go.
In an e-mail responding to staffing questions, the company said it is readjusting its business plans to better match supply with demand.
"Nakheel recently merged a number of its business units, which are now undergoing resource restructuring to ensure efficiency and optimisation of skill and talent," the company added.
Queen Elizabeth II launched the QE2 in 1967. It has made more than 800 trans-Atlantic crossings and carried 2.5 million passengers till retirement in November last year.
In 2007, former owner Cunard agreed to sell the ship to Nakheel's parent company for £50 million (then worth Dh367 million).
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