Underscoring Dubai\u2019s status as the region\u2019s leading cruise hub, the emirate is set to welcome 900,000 cruise tourists during the 2022-2023 season, which kicks off with the arrival of the cruise liner TUI Cruises (Mein Schiff 6) at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid, on 29 October. The 2022-2023 season is scheduled to see 166 ship calls between Mina Rashid and Dubai Harbour, bringing in an estimated 900,000 cruise passengers and crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commenting on the occasion, H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Border Security Council, said, \u201cThe strong outlook for Dubai\u2019s 2022-2023 cruise season will help accelerate its drive to realise the vision of\u00a0His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the world\u2019s most visited destination and the best city to live and work in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed added, \u201cThe cruise industry is an integral part of Dubai\u2019s tourism sector and plays an important role in reinforcing the emirate\u2019s status as a global tourism hub. Dubai\u2019s robust port infrastructure and state-of-the-art terminal facilities can handle some of the world\u2019s largest cruise ships, underpinning the city\u2019s reputation as one of the world\u2019s most advanced cruise destinations and a key gateway for regional and international cruise itineraries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe scheduled increase in cruise liners and passengers visiting the city\u2019s shores this season is driven by Dubai\u2019s exceptional maritime infrastructure and the availability of some of the world\u2019s most outstanding tourist attractions. Dubai\u2019s position at the forefront of the rebound in international tourism underscores its emergence as a hub for cruise tourism,” Sheikh Mansoor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some major cruise liners scheduled to visit Dubai this season include MSC Cruises & TUI Cruises and Ponant (MSC World Europa, Opera, Mein Schiff 6 & Le Bougainville), which will make the award-winning Mina Rashid Cruise Terminal their home port for the season. In addition, C.S. Aida Cosma (arriving on 17 November) and C.S. Costa Toscana, the two new LNG-powered cruise ships, will arrive at the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several cruise liners arriving in Dubai have outlined their commitment to sustainability and decarbonisation. Coupled with the energy-efficient infrastructure and facilities in Dubai\u2019s ports, this will help achieve the ambitious sustainability goals outlined in the UAE\u2019s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UAE Net Zero 2050 initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cruise industry continues to significantly contribute to the city\u2019s tourism sector and is set to build on the remarkable rebound of Dubai\u2019s wider tourism sector. Dubai received 98 ship calls and more than 338,697 passengers and crew during the 2021-2022 cruise season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, said, \u201cCruise Tourism has become an increasingly key contributor to Dubai\u2019s economy. The emirate\u2019s central location, midway between Europe and Asia, is vital to its success as a primary homeport for cruise ships in the Arabian Gulf and the wider Middle East and its popularity as one of the top destinations. Owing to Dubai\u2019s strengths, including decades of investments in the tourism industry and the expansion of cruise terminals, we are predicting another robust winter for the 2022-2023 season. At our cruise terminals, we expect 123 calls from some of the largest cruise operators, which is a 100 per cent increase over the last season. Additionally, passenger and crew inflows are forecast to rise to around 600,000, more than double the previous season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai\u2019s Department of Economy and Tourism, said, \u201cDubai continues to chart a steady course to enhance its position as the region\u2019s leading cruise destination, in line with the leadership\u2019s vision to make the city the world\u2019s most sought-after travel destination. We are grateful to our valued network of stakeholders and partners for their continued cooperation and support, which has led to a growing number of international cruise operators looking to anchor in the emirate. With the world\u2019s top luxury liners heading to Dubai during the new cruise season, we will work with our partners to encourage cruise travellers to enjoy the destination\u2019s diverse offerings, especially our unique winter sun proposition. Dubai remains a blueprint for global tourism recovery. We look forward to another successful cruise season as the launching pad to generate further momentum across the regional cruise industry and maintain Dubai\u2019s position as a global tourism hub.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Portfolio Management Officer, Shamal Holding, said, \u201cFollowing the successful debut of the largest standalone dedicated twin cruise terminal in the eastern hemisphere, we have a positive outlook for the forthcoming cruise season. With the C.S. Aida Cosma and C.S. Costa Toscana homeporting at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminals along with the arrival of other visiting world-class cruise liners, we will be welcoming thousands of passengers, acting as a natural gateway to the attractions that Dubai has to offer. We look forward to building on last year\u2019s efforts and providing the world-class infrastructure, facilities, and seamless experience necessary to support the region\u2019s maritime tourism, contributing to Dubai\u2019s ambition to become the most visited city in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dubai has taken important steps to facilitate cruise travel through the strong ongoing development of ports and cruise terminal infrastructure, hassle-free entry procedures and visa facilities, and strengthening collaborations with leading industry players and stakeholders to further drive cruise visitation. Its popularity as a cruise destination has expanded significantly over the past decade, resulting in the world\u2019s biggest cruise liners consistently including Dubai as a port of call in their cruise itineraries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notable facilities include the award-winning Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal at Mina Rashid, capable of simultaneously handling seven mega-cruise vessels and 14,000 cruise passengers. In addition, the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal features the most advanced facilities, including bespoke Seaport Passenger Boarding Bridges. Strategically located in the heart of new Dubai, close to international airports and iconic tourist attractions, it can process 3,250 passengers per hour per terminal.
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Underscoring Dubai\u2019s status as the region\u2019s leading cruise hub, the emirate is set to welcome 900,000 cruise tourists during the 2022-2023 season, which kicks off with the arrival of the cruise liner TUI Cruises (Mein Schiff 6) at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid, on 29 October. The 2022-2023 season is scheduled to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":49636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-entertainment","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49635"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49637,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49635\/revisions\/49637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}