The arrival of the 252-meter-long cruise ship, AIDAbella, at Dubai Harbour on Friday marked the start of the cruise season at Dubai’s seafront district.
Carrying 1,200 passengers and 600 crew members, the ship’s arrival also marks the official debut of the region’s most modern and largest, standalone dedicated twin cruise terminal center in the Eastern hemisphere, capable of the simultaneous handling of two of the largest cruise ships currently operating globally.
Dubai’s 2021-2022 season, which commenced in October, is expected to welcome 126 ship calls and over 500,000 cruise visitors, which is likely to contribute to the momentum of Dubai’s tourism recovery.
More than 150,000 passengers are forecast to visit Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal in its first season.
Located at the center of modern Dubai, Dubai Harbour is within easy reach of the city’s key landmarks, including the Burj Al Arab, Ain Dubai, Bluewaters Island, and Palm Jumeirah.
As the owning company and curator of Dubai Harbour, the diversified investment firm Shamal Holding is the driving force behind making Dubai Harbour an exceptional seafront district.
Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Portfolio Management Officer of Shamal Holding, the owning company and curator of Dubai Harbour, said, “Along with the launch of Expo 2020 Dubai this year, the opening of the cruise terminal represents a significant milestone in realizing Dubai’s destiny to become the most visited city in the world.”
Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal comprises two terminal buildings that are designed to process over 3,250 passengers per hour and can accommodate a complete passenger turnaround of two mega cruise ships simultaneously.
AIDA Cruises is the market leader in the German-speaking cruise market and currently operates one of the most modern fleets in the world with 13 cruise ships, including the first-ever LNG propulsion cruise ship built.