Abu Dhabi, Dubai, regional maritime tourism authorities form ‘Cruise Arabia’ alliance to promote cruise tourism
Countries will collaborate to position the GCC region as premier cruise destination
Dubai: The maritime and tourism authorities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman have formalised the Cruise Arabia alliance. This regional partnership will promote the Arabian Gulf as a global cruise ship destination.
Dubai Department for Economy and Tourism (DET) announced on Friday that an official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the stakeholders at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB Berlin) travel trade convention.
According to DET, the key objectives of the Cruise Arabia alliance include collaboration to enhance the cruise experience for passengers, attract more cruise liners to the region, improve port infrastructure, and drive economic growth in the regional cruise tourism sector.
Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, “The growth of our cruise tourism has been largely shaped by the continuous support of our stakeholders and partners. This alliance will result in more cruise operators seeking to anchor in Dubai, capitalising on its strategic location and promoting the city’s diverse offerings, world-class infrastructure and superior air and sea connectivity.”
Dubai is home to two world-class cruise ports, Mina Rashid (Port Rashid) and Dubai Harbour, which simultaneously accommodate nine mega-cruise vessels. Dubai’s 2023-2024 winter cruise season was launched on October 28, 2023, with the arrival of the luxury liner Mein Schiff 2, which docked at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal at Mina Rashid.
Meanwhile, Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal welcomed 300,000 passengers in the 2022-2023 cruise season, roughly four times the number from its debut season, with a 40 per cent increase in ship calls.