Dubai Cruise Terminal welcomes first ocean liners

Cruise ships from Germany were the first to arrive at the new Dubai Cruise Terminal this week to help lead the industry's fightback against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Twin cruise liners from German company Aida arrived at the huge 120,000 square-metre construction in the heart of Dubai, built to moor some of the largest passenger vessels in the world.

Nestled between the Bluewater island development and The Palm Jumeirah, one of the emirate’s most eagerly awaited mega-projects is almost ready for action.

The 300-metre Aidaprima ocean liner – capable of carrying 3,300 passengers in luxurious comfort – and the smaller Aidavita vessel were the first two cruise ships to take part in a recent test run at the new terminal.

Before the pandemic, the cruise industry was the fastest growing in the travel sector.

Demand soared by 20.5 per cent in the last five years, taking the industry’s value close to $207 billion (Dh760.2bn) in annual global revenue, according to KPMG, with 270 vessels across more than 50 operators.

By mid-March, as international borders slammed shut to contain the coronavirus, hundreds of passengers around the world were forced to quarantine on stranded cruise ships before they could be repatriated.

As signs of life begin to return to global travel amid hopes of widespread international vaccination programmes, the cruise industry is preparing for lift-off.

Dubai Cruise Terminal’s location – close to the marina, the 250-metre Ain Dubai observation wheel and Jumeirah Beach Residences – promises a spectacular arrival for those on board.

Aida Cruises is now taking bookings for operations from Dubai between late November and mid-April 2022 and will offer seven-day trips to the Far East.

Although not yet fully open, the terminal promises to be one of the world’s busiest.

It aims to bolster Dubai’s reputation as a major tourism hub, three years on from the joint venture between developers Carnival Corporation and Shamal Holding.

A public unveiling of the project has twice been delayed owing to Covid-19.

The planned Dubai International Boat Show was first set to take place at the terminal last year, and again this year before both events were postponed. It is now scheduled for March, 2022.

Once open, the port will become the primary hub for Carnival Corporation’s transit operations in the region.

Results

United States beat UAE by three wickets

United States beat Scotland by 35 runs

UAE v Scotland – no result

United States beat UAE by 98 runs

Scotland beat United States by four wickets

Fixtures

Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland

Admission is free

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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

While you're here

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More on this story

UAE jobseekers who exaggerate CVs could face fraud charge, say lawyers

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.

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Prop idols

Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.

Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)

An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.

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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)

Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.

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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)

Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.