Dubai to Expand Its Cruise Terminal Facilities

With the number of cruise ship calls quadrupling in the last five years, Dubai is looking to expand its cruise terminal facilities.

“We have to expand our capacity. Our dock takes up to five ships. The numbers are going to increase and our cruise terminal is not enough. There are expansion plans for the future and we will announce them at that time,” Hamad Mohammad Bin Mejren, executive director of Business Tourism at the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said on the sidelines of a press conference yesterday.

This year’s cruise season is expected to bring 425,000 passengers on 120 cruise ships increasing gradually each year up to 180 ships with 625,000 passengers in 2015.

The cruise terminal, which was opened last year, is currently used by Royal Caribbean, Aida and Costa Cruises but the number of cruise lines using the facility is also expected to increase.

“The range of brands from all segments of the cruise market now regard Dubai and this region as very important destinations,” Chris Hayman, chairman of Seatrade, said.

“We’re starting to see particularly strong growth emerging from Europe and many of the brands committed to this market are European brands. It’s now progressing at a pace which suggests that it will become a more important source market for cruise passengers globally and for this region,” he added.

(ChrisCruises)