Cruise Saudi, the parent company of AROYA Cruises and the government agency tasked with building out the Kingdom’s cruise industry, has signed a membership agreement with the FLEET research consortium to collaborate on developing sustainable energy solutions.

The move will see Cruise Saudi and FLEET collaborate to develop more sustainable energy solutions for the cruise and wider maritime sectors, and is in line with FLEET’s mission to improve the economic and environmental competitiveness of the aviation, road and marine sectors. 

Founded by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Oil Sustainability Program (OSP), FLEET (Fuels, Lubricants and Efficient Engine Technologies) brings together key stakeholders of the energy and transportation sectors to collectively respond to the need for more sustainable energy solutions.

Cruise Saudi joins the consortium to work together on the goal set by KAUST’s Clean Combustion Research Center to develop economically viable and environmentally sustainable technologies.

“Sustainability and innovation are at the core of everything we do at Cruise Saudi, and we are continually looking to identify and implement the most innovative practices which promote sustainability – not just reducing our carbon footprint, but across the entire value chain of the cruise industry that we are developing in Saudi,” said Dr. Ahmed Alsaggaf, Executive Director of Sustainability & Innovation at Cruise Saudi. 

“As such, we are looking forward to playing a part in the important research KAUST is doing to improve sustainable energy in the maritime sector and beyond. It is an exciting new chapter for both Cruise Saudi, and wider Saudi, as we work towards a more sustainable future,” he added.

The move by Cruise Saudi comes ahead of the launch of AROYA Cruises in December this year, when the cruise line is scheduled to sail its inaugural season in the Red Sea out of Jeddah.

AROYA Cruises is the first domestic cruise brand in Saudi Arabia, and the first cruise brand ever to specifically target the Arab cruise market, which has been significant growth in the past 10 years.

AROYA has just one cruise ship for now, the former World Dream, which has undergone a major refit and refurbishment in Germany, but has signalled its intention to build two more vessels, bringing the total fleet to three.

The two additional cruise ships for the brand will be newbuild designs, and are expected to be built in Saudi Arabia itself following the launch of the Fincantieri Arabia joint venture.