Dubai has opened a new 300,000-square-foot cruise terminal capable of welcoming 14,000 passengers a day. It is the third cruise terminal in the Dubai’s port facilities at Mina Rashid.
“The new building will increase the handling capacity of the three cruise terminals in Dubai from 2 million tourists a year to 7 million,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai-based DP World, which operates 65 marine terminals on six continents. “The terminal is the largest and most modern cruise facility in the Middle East and the wider region, enabling award-winning Mina Rashid to now serve up to seven cruise vessels at one time and more than 25,000 passengers in its three cruise terminals. This expansion came in response to requests from cruise lines and will enable them to increase the number of their trips to Dubai.”
The terminal was inaugurated last week by Sheikh Hamdan Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai, on a day when Costa and Aida has ships in port with 4,000 passengers. The terminal is named after the prince and is officially known as Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal.
“Dubai’s vision is to attract 20 million tourists by 2020, with the Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing anticipating cruise tourist numbers reaching the 1 million mark by that time,” Bin Sulayem said.
Dubai is expecting a 19 percent increase in cruise passengers in the current 2014-15 season, with 381,000 visitors arriving on 110 cruise ship calls.
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