Dubai Opens New Cruise Terminal

Dubai’s new cruise terminal was formally opened on Tuesday and top government officials said it will help boost the economy of the emirate which expects a 24 per cent rise in cruise tourists this year.

They said Dubai will host 120 ships with more than 325,000 passengers this year, compared with 87 cruise ships that brought 261,000 tourists to the emirate in 2009.

During the course of the festivities marking the launch of one of the Middle East’s biggest cruise terminal facilities, the naming ceremony for a passenger cruise ship — Costa Deliziosa — took place, making Dubai the first Arab city to host such a ceremony.

“It’s an important day in Dubai tourism history and it will stimulate other cruise operators to choose Dubai as their cruise hub,” the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, or DTCM, Executive Director for Business Tourism Hamad bin Mejren said after the inauguration of new cruise terminal and naming ceremony of the Italian cruise.

Developed and operated by the DTCM at the Port Rashid complex, the new facility will have a capacity to accommodate four cruise ships simultaneously.

The new terminal was opened by the Dubai Crown Prince, Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in the presence of Chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates Airlines Group, Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere, Pier Luigi Foschi, and Italian ambassador to the UAE, Paolo Dionisi.

Mejren said that the capacity of the new terminal has been increased and this is in line with future plan of the emirate to promote tourism in Dubai.

By 2013, the terminal is expected to receive 165 ships with 475,000 passengers, reaching 180 ships with 525,000 passengers in 2014 and 195 ships with 575,000 passengers in 2015.

He said that despite economic down turn the emirate continues to attract high number of tourists and record high occupancy in hotels. This landmark development clearly reflects the growth potential of cruise tourism in the emirate and also the global interest in Dubai’s tourism facilities. Costa Deliziosa left Savona on the Grand Maiden Cruise and arrived in Dubai with over 2,600 passengers.

Mejren said this region would become the choice of cruise liner operators and give big boost to the UAE and Gulf countries in terms of tourists.

The DTCM Director-General Khalid A bin Sulayem said: “The cruise tourism plays a crucial role in the overall growth and development of the tourism industry in the emirate. We realised its importance long ago and created the infrastructure and services that were needed to tap its potential. The new terminal will meet the increase demand that has been recorded in cruise tourists to Dubai.”

Weighing 92,600 gross tonnage and with a total guest capacity of 2,826, the new ship has been built at a total cost of €450 million. During winter 2010-11 the Costa Deliziosa and Costa Luminosa — Costa’s top of the range offer — will be offering 7-day cruises in the Arabian Gulf with departure from Dubai and stopovers in Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.