Dubai expects to see double-digit growth in cruise ship passenger numbers at both of its ports during the coming season.
In the coming months, up to 150 cruise ships are expected to call in Dubai at Mina Rashid and Dubai Harbour.
The season started on Thursday with the arrival of luxury liner Mein Schiff 2, which docked at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal at Mina Rashid.
Dubai will host the Resilient Lady Ship, operated by Virgin Voyages, for the first time, with the vessel set to embark on two routes from the city this season.
Major cruise companies MSC Cruises, TUI Cruises, Aida Cruises, Costa Cruises and Ponant Cruises will operate cruises from Dubai, while cruise lines such as Cunard, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and Cordelia Cruises will also operate routes via the emirate.
Abdulla Binhabtoor, chief portfolio management officer at Shamal Holding, the owner and curator of Dubai Harbour, said the 2022/23 season saw “encouraging momentum for growth and development in the cruise sector”.
“Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal welcomed 300,000 passengers this past cruise season, roughly four times the numbers from our debut season, with a 40 per cent increase in ship calls,” he said.
“For 2023/24, we are encouraged by the number of bigger vessels operated by renowned companies coming to Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal.”
The twin terminals, located on a pier stretch of more than 910 metres, are designed to process more than 3,250 passengers an hour.
Hamza Mustafa, chief operating officer at DP World, which owns Mina Rashid, said it expects a significant increase for the 2023-2024 season.
“Dubai has become a major port of embarkation and a popular call for cruise lines in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf and we expect to record another strong season, with 28 per cent more visitors forecasted in comparison to 2022-2023.”
Mina Rashid can handle seven mega-cruise vessels or 25,000 passengers at once. The port’s Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, the world’s largest single covered cruise terminal facility, is capable of handling 14,000 passengers a day.
The best cruises from Dubai and Abu Dhabi – in pictures
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Dubai Harbour is increasingly welcoming cruise liners and passengers. Photo: Dubai Harbour -
Travellers on MSC's seven-night Middle Eastern voyage can visit the Omani capital. Victor Besa / The National -
Fishing boats docked in Khasab, a small port town in Musandam, where passengers on the MSC Opera can visit. Silvia Razgova / The National -
Silver Sea's luxury voyage from Dubai to the Seychelles stops in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images -
Mumbai's Gateway to India. EPA -
Cruise to the tropical islands of the Seychelles with Silver Sea. Photo: JA Resorts & Hotels -
The Mutrah Souq is a stop on a five-night cruise of Arabia with Costa Cruises. Victor Besa / The National -
Oceania Cruises' Exotic Eastern Spices route whisks travellers to Goa, India. Calle Montes / Photononstop / Corbis -
Cruise by the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore on a 20-day trip from Dubai with Oceania. AFP -
Azamara's seven-night Arabian intensive cruise visits Qatar. -
Excursions for travellers cruising with Azamara to Abu Dhabi include a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Victor Besa / The National -
Helicopter tours in Dubai are on the cards for passengers sailing with Azamara. Photo: Uber -
Explore Oman's Salalah on Regent Seven Seas cruise from Dubai to Cape Town. Getty -
Cape Town is one of the continent's most popular cities with tourists. Reuters / Mike Hutchings
