Lars Clasen, CEO of Cruise Saudi, has won CEO of the Year in the Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Development Company category at the inaugural Middle East CEO of the Year Awards.

Lars Clasen was awarded “Best Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Development Company CEO” following a year of major milestones for Cruise Saudi in 2023, with the company having successfully established Saudi Arabia as a major cruise destination and cruise market.

Winners at the awards were decided by a judging panel of five industry experts who recognized the commitment, expertise and innovation shown by nominees through a rigorous evaluation process.

“I would like to thank everybody at Cruise Saudi whose tireless efforts have led to this recognition,” said Clasen. “This award is not just a testament to our achievements to date but a reflection of our team’s collective dedication to turning Saudi into a world-leading cruise destination.”

“I look forward to building on our successes of 2023 throughout the new year ahead,” he added.

Cruise Saudi in 2023 announced the launch of the first Saudi cruise line, and the first homegrown cruise brand in the Arab world, AROYA Cruises, as well as the opening of King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, and plans to expand cruise passenger access to Medina. 

During 2023, Saudi Arabia welcomed passengers from over 120 nationalities aboard several dozen cruise calls, including MSC Cruises, which homeports annually in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

While Saudi Arabia continues to focus on attracting more cruise lines to visit and homeport in the country, Cruise Saudi’s plans to establish Aroya Cruises as a major domestic cruise line is a true game-changer for the regional cruise market.

The new cruise line will be owned by Cruise Saudi, but will be independently run by Joerg Rudolph, who has two decades experience in the cruise industry, having previously worked in executive roles for Costa Cruises and AIDA.

Through Aroya Cruises, Cruise Saudi will boost demand for cruises in the Middle Eastern market, growing the region’s home market to make the region more attractive to homeporting cruise lines, while also aiding in the diversification of Saudi Arabia’s economy.

Cruise Saudi has previously indicated that it plans to create at least 50,000 jobs for Saudi Arabian nationals in the cruise sector by 2030.