Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

Strengthening Dubai’s position as the leading ‘cruise hub of the region’, the emirate welcomed six international cruise liners on Dec.29, 2019 through its award-winning cruise terminal, Mina Rashid. The terminal dealt with over 60,000 cruise passengers, as they handled all processes for the smooth arrival of TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 5, Pullmantur Cruises’ Horizon, MSC Cruises’ MSC Lirica, Jalesh Cruises’ Karnika as well as the maiden calls from Costa Cruises’ Costa Diadema and Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas.

Throughout the upcoming season, the city will go on to receive five cruise vessels in a single day on 10 additional occasions and six cruise vessels in a single day twice during the season.

Since its inauguration in 2014, Mina Rashid’s Hamdan Bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal has received over 2.3 million visitors, marking a 172 per cent increase towards the end of 2018. In April, Mina Rashid was recognised as the Middle East’s Leading Cruise Terminal Award for the 12th consecutive time at the World Travel Awards 2019, along with WTA’s prestigious World’s Leading Cruise Port Award for 11 years in a row since 2008.

The terminal is currently undergoing a programme of expansion to improve its capabilities, with plans to introduce an excellent recreational area that will symbolise Dubai’s rich cultural heritage, as well as providing improved berthing services for private yacht owners looking to make Dubai a home for their vessels.

Hamad Bin Mejren, Senior Vice President, Dubai Tourism, commented, “With the arrival of six leading international cruise liners to Dubai on a single day, we are delighted to celebrate this historic occasion for the city. As testament to the emirate’s position as the leading hub for cruising in the region, this milestone is a sound reflection of how far Dubai has come on its journey to becoming the preferred destination of choice for international cruise travellers and cruise operators alike. As we increase momentum, and continue our efforts to raise the bar even higher for the city’s cruising industry, the support and collaboration we receive from our stakeholders will be paramount to our sustained success and will allow us to ensure that we are able to provide enriching, world-class services to cruise visitors from across the globe.”

The 2019-2020 cruise season is expected to welcome more than 200 ship calls, with an estimated one million cruise visitors visiting Dubai. The season will also see increased efforts to promote cruise tourism in the region by the Dubai Cruise Committee which is comprised of leading industry partners.