The emirate is the new hub for cruise tourism. It is to be further expanded together with the world market leader in the maritime industry.
Dubai and seafaring – a long history. Since ancient times, dhows have borne the burden of maritime trade in the Persian Gulf. The traditional Arab ships with their triangular sails loaded with gold and pearls sailed to India and Africa. You can still admire them today at the Creek, the arm of the sea that divides Dubai. In front of the hyper-modern skyline, the bulbous dhows look like they have fallen out of time.
Dubai has long been relying on much larger ships. But today it's still about gold and pearls, albeit in a different form. The shipping companies are called Aida or Costa, Mein Schiff, Ponat or MSC, and their cargo consists of wealthy visitors. In recent years, Dubai has invested billions to make the emirate attractive as a port of call and hub for international cruise tourism.
New cruise terminals of huge dimensions
The ocean giants can now anchor at two modern terminals on different coastal strips of the city. One is in Mina Rashid at the mouth of Dubai Creek near the center. Seven cruise ships and a total of around 14,000 passengers can be handled in an area of over 36,500 square meters – at the same time, mind you! The modern infrastructure of the new building named Hamdan bin Mohammed makes this possible.
In the west of the emirate, Dubai Harbor is located not far from the famous artificial island of The Palm and consists of a 910 meter long pier with two terminals for large cruise ships. Up to 3,250 passengers can be processed here every hour. If you prefer to drive your own yacht, park right next door at the Dubai Harbor Marina. It offers 700 spaces for luxury yachts and boats of all sizes.
Five years ago, Carnival Corporation, which also includes the German shipping company Aida, entered into a strategic partnership with the emirate. Goal: To develop Dubai as a new “home port” in the winter season for ships in the fleet. Aida Prima and Aida Vita were the first cruise ships to dock at the new Dubai Harbor Cruise Terminal in 2021.
A week around the Persian Gulf
“In the 2022/2023 season, we have already welcomed over 900,000 passengers, with a total of 166 landings.” Saud Mohammed bin Hareb, spokesman for the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, is correspondingly optimistic for the coming season: there are currently 200 visits from cruise ships Planned for 2024.
Where is the journey going? A tour of the Persian Gulf is popular. The one-week version of cruises from Dubai takes you, for example, to the neighboring emirate of Abu Dhabi as well as to Bahrain and Oman. People are happy to head to Qatar. As a contrast to the glittering shopping destinations, a stop at Sir Bani Yas is a good idea. The largest natural island in the United Arab Emirates with its remarkable fauna is a haven of peace.
The cruise ends in the port of Dubai
The ships also spend a night or two as floating luxury hotels in the port of Dubai. This gives passengers plenty of opportunity to explore the city's sights and pick up one or two souvenirs in the souks and malls. Or take a trip on a traditional dhow on Dubai Creek to the bazaars of the old town – an exciting contrast to the modern ocean liners.
The current season of the Aida Prima with space for 3,300 passengers begins from Dubai on December 8, 2023 and ends on April 16, 2024. The starting price for a seven-day cruise under the motto “Orient from Dubai” is 499 euros. For Mein Schiff 2 from TUI Cruises, the emirate is also the hub of all Oriental cruises on offer. “Premium all inclusive” for one week starts at 649 euros.
Participation in the trip was supported by Dubai Tourism. Our standards of transparency and journalistic independence can be found at go2.as/independence.
