Abu Dhabi to unveil cruise terminal designs

The model will be unveiled at Seatrade Med 2014, a major cruise industry trade show taking place in Barcelona on 16-18 September. ADPC will be joined by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) delegation in the emirate’s first dedicated “Cruise Abu Dhabi” international promotion.
The Abu Dhabi contingent will unveil plans for the new Zayed Port cruise passenger terminal, and outline a number of initiatives which are expected to boost the nation’s appeal as a winter cruise destination.
The terminal design was finalised following an international design competition and extensive industry stakeholder input. An important element of the competition was the commitment to hire two leading Emirati architectural graduates, to join the project team for the development of the architectural design.
With ground clearance for construction of the terminal is underway, the new designs will be launched with the help of a scale model and a video ‘fly-through’ which shows the facilities and style of the new building.
Abu Dhabi’s cruise ambitions have also been boosted recently following new visa regulation moves which includes an AED200 (US$55) multi-entry cruise visa for the UAE.
“The new visa fee makes it much more affordable for operators to promote Arabian itineraries, of which Abu Dhabi is a key stopover,” said Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, acting executive director tourism at TCA Abu Dhabi.
“It is being well received by the industry and we will shortly assist operators further with the inclusion of a dedicated cruise promotion sector…”
Abu Dhabi is now working with Dubai and Oman in a ‘Cruise Arabia’ alliance to build the region’s international cruise appeal. Each port in the Cruise Arabia initiative offers a very different range of attractions for visiting passengers.
Zayed Port cruise passenger terminal is ideally located close to the centre of the city and its exciting attractions, from the Louvre Abu Dhabi which will open in 2015 to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Yas Waterworld to mention just a few.
The 2013/2014 cruise season which ran from November to April, was the busiest yet for Abu Dhabi, with a record 10 maiden calls, 75 port calls, and 189,709 passengers visiting the UAE capital. This is a substantial increase compared to the 2006/2007 cruise season when Zayed Port hosted just 29 cruise ships and 35,366 passengers.
Source: Travel Daily