DP World’s third cruise terminal at Mina Rashid, Dubai was inaugurated on Thursday last week by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
DP World said that the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal is set to be the world’s largest single, covered cruise facility capable of welcoming 14,000 cruise passengers a day.
DP World welcomed 4,000 passengers at the new terminal on Thursday from the Costa Cruise and Aida Cruise ships, part of Arabian Gulf tours.
The Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal covers 28,000 square metres and is the latest addition to the Dubai Cruise Terminal facility at Mina Rashid.
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World, said: “Dubai’s vision is to attract 20 million tourists a year by 2020, with the Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) anticipating cruise tourist numbers reaching the one-million mark by that time.
“The new building will increase the handling capacity of the three cruise terminals in Dubai from two million tourists a year to seven million. The terminal is the largest and most modern cruise facility in the Middle East and the wider region, enabling award winning Mina Rashid to now serve up to seven cruise vessels at one time and more than 25,000 passengers in its three cruise terminals. This expansion came in response to requests from cruise liners and will enable them to increase the number of their trips to Dubai.”
The terminal has strong green credentials having been built using re-cycled materials from Jebel Ali, including the steel structure, interlocking bricks, and shipping wood pellets for interior finishing.
Features include a Green Wall Shade System to reduce solar ingress, controlled LED and daylight illumination, landscaping and irrigation supply. It also provides bicycle and electric car parking with charging stations.
Mina Rashid has been voted the Leading Cruise Port at the World Travel Awards for seven years in a row. The port also handles ferry passengers between Dubai and port cities across the Arabian Gulf.
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