Dubai considers new cruise terminal

Dubai is considering plans for the construction of a new cruise terminal according to a senior tourism official.The move will meet an expected surge in the number of cruise tourists in the Emirate. Gulf News reports today that 85,000 passengers arrived between October and May, 20,000 more than expected, and the number will rise to 160,000 during the next winter season.Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, executive director of convention and heritage at the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said the five-year-old cruise terminal at Port Rashid is able to accommodate passengers in the immediate future, however a new terminal could be required later.

Ketbi told Gulf News “we are studying building a new cruise terminal. A decision will be taken this year.”Italian cruise line Costa Crociere assigned two ships to Dubai last season with stopovers in Muscat and Bahrain. It plans to add a further ship next season, bringing 103,000 tourists to Dubai, the newspaper says.The company has signed a five-year deal with the DTCM and will open a Dubai office in October.The new terminal will give berthing priority to ships operated by Costa and other Carnival Corporation cruise lines. Source