Dubai’s new cruise terminal is expected to open in January to support the destination’s plans for growing its cruise industry.
Royal Caribbean’s first ship based in the Middle East, Brilliance of the Seas, will start sailing from Dubai in January, stopping at Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.
Italy’s Costa Cruises has also increased its presence in Dubai, having made the emirate its regional hub in 2007.
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) predicts that the overall number of cruise liner passengers in the emirate will top 260,000 this year.
Next year, Dubai expects an additional 99 ships carrying more than 383,000 passengers.