Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman tourism officials revive Cruise Arabia Alliance

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman, founding members of the Cruise Arabia Alliance, a grouping of GCC cruise destinations aimed at fostering the growth of the region’s cruise tourism industry, have revived the alliance at ITB Berlin.

The Cruise Arabia Alliance was first announced back in 2018 as a joint effort by key GCC cruise destinations to promote the Arabian Gulf to cruise lines and other cruise stakeholders, but went quiet following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

At the ITB Berlin travel exhibition tourim authorities from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman signed a pact to promote cruises across all four destinations and work on bringing more cruise liners to the region.

“This alliance will result in more cruise operators seeking to anchor in Dubai, capitalising on its strategic location and promoting the city’s diverse offerings, world-class infrastructure and superior air and sea connectivity,” said Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism.

Saleh Mohammed Al Geziry, Director General of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi added: “We are collectively committed to championing cruise tourism reflecting our firm belief in the power of partnerships.”

Dubai is the primary cruise port in the Arabian Gulf, with around 1 million cruise tourists either boarding ships sailing from the city, or visiting on cruise ships calling on port calls during World Cruises and grand voyages.

Dubai plays host annually to four to five cruise ships from MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises and TUI Cruises, with Costa and MSC both offering Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha in Qatar as embarkation ports.

Port authorities earn a higher passenger tax per passenger on turnaround calls versus one-day port calls where passengers only visit the city, so the Cruise Arabia Alliance will also likely be working to position Muscat in Oman and Manama in Bahrain as potential embarkation ports as well. 

Saudi Arabia is missing from the pact, but the kingdom has its own cruise sector, and is investing heavily in expanding port infrastructure and the establishment of its own cruise lines AROYA Cruises and Silensea, with talks likely taking place to try and bring the Kingdom into the alliance.

In October 2023, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman agreed to form a ‘GCC zone‘ for visas, a similar situation as the Schengen Zone across the EU. 

This visa is intended to prompt tourists to consider cross-country travel like they do in Europe, and also creates a vastly simplified regulation environment in which for international cruise lines to operate in the Arabian Gulf.

This new visa comes under the banner of the “Gulf Strategy for Tourism 2023-2030,” which ministers also said is in the works, but a date for activation has not been announced.