Thursday, Nov 12, 2009

Gulf News

Dubai Port Rashid, Dubai's thriving international anchoring berth for cruise ships, has emerged as an important hub for this particular tourism industry over the past years. Not only is the historic ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 currently berthed there after arriving in Dubai on November 26, 2008, the port is about to be redeveloped and turned into a purely cruise terminal after all cargo was moved to Jebel Ali Port.

According to data by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai's growth into a cruise ship hub occurred very quickly. In 2003, only 2,700 cruise passengers arrived in Dubai; in 2007 the number rose to 113,000.

The DCTM announced last month that the new terminal will be ready for tourism business in January 2010 and will be able to handle four ships simultaneously. The number of arriving cruise tourists is estimated to reach 260,000 this year and 380,000 next year.

"The new Cruise Terminal in Port Rashid is expected to be operational by January 2010," says Hamad Bin Mejren, DTCM Executive Director. Until then, a temporary set-up is catering to the needs of the cruise ships.

In Abu Dhabi, the Tourism Authority (ADTA) is expecting nearly 200,000 new arrivals in the next season, which runs from November to March 2010, compared to 125,000 in the same period last year.

In Oman, the number of ships docking in 2010 will increase by 40 per cent compared to 2009, says Khalid Al Zadjali, Acting Director of Tourism Events at the Oman Ministry of Tourism.

"Muscat port has invested in the cruise industry by building a brand new cruise terminal, which will be open by the end of the year."

In Bahrain, currently three cruise ships a week are docking in Manama, accounting for 120,000 passengers a year.

The worldwide cruise industry carried 13.2 million passengers in 2008, a 4.8 per cent increase from 2007, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.

Dubai One of the biggest cruise ships ever is expected to dock in Port Rashid on January 18. The ocean liner, Brilliance of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean International, will be the company's first ship to remain based in the Middle East.

The ship has 90,090 gross registered tonnes, is 962 feet long and 106 feet wide, comprises 12 passenger decks and can carry a total of 2,500 guests plus 848 crew.

The ship is "set to be the Middle East's biggest cruise ship in terms of guest capacity," says Rama Rebbapragada, Regional Vice-President of Royal Caribbean International. "It will carry 2,500 guests a week on a dedicated Arabian itinerary, and this in itself will boost tourism spend in the planned stops," he added.

This way, the vessel will add more than 32,000 guests in her first four-month season to the region's cruise sector.

"The Middle East figures are remarkable and we expect Brilliance of the Seas to establish itself as the leading cruise option for years to come," says Helen Beck, Regional Sales Director Europe, Middle East and Africa for Royal Caribbean Cruises. The inaugural cruise will lead the ship to five major Arabian Gulf destinations, Beck adds.

"Bookings for the sailings are performing well and we are currently 8 per cent ahead of our projections, with more than 70 per cent coming from the UK."

By Arno Maierbrugger, Deputy Business Editor

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