Cruise Saudi plans to develop ten cruise ports in Saudi Arabia, alongside AROYA expansion

Cruise Saudi, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the national sovereign wealth fund, is planning further expansion of the Kingdom’s cruise industry beyond the launch of AROYA Cruises.

Speaking to Arab News at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Lars Clasen, CEO of Cruise Saudi, detailed the company’s plans to grow the cruise industry further by 2030.

“Ultimately, we plan to have 10 destinations available,” he said. “We have four in development at this very moment. On top of the three we have operational right now, there are three further in the pipeline.”

Founded in 2021 to develop the necessary infrastructure and services for a domestic cruise market in Saudi Arabia, Cruise Saudi has previously announced that more than 370,000 cruise tourists from around the world have visited Saudi Arabia.

The company aims to attract 1.3 million passengers annually by 2035, and is developing new products and services to support this growth, including the launch of AROYA Cruises, the first domestic cruise line for the Arab world, and the development of a private island in the Red Sea.

“We will very soon, also in December, open up an island which offers a wonderful beach and water sport activities exclusively to cruise guests,” said Clasen. “It’s some 200 miles south of Jeddah in the Red Sea, and it’s exclusively developed for cruise guests. This will be our next destination, our fourth destination, which we will be offering.”

AROYA Cruises will be open to all for booking, but will initially target the Middle East and GCC countries specifically. The cruise line has adapted its onboard cruise experience to cater to the tastes and expectations of regional guests, with Halal-certified food and beverages, and gender-segregated public spaces.

The strategy to cater to the domestic cruise market follows the approach taken by many mainstream cruise brands around the world. 

P&O targets the British market, AIDA Cruises and TUI focus on Germany, Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises initially catered to Italian passengers before expanding globally, and Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line have for decades served the North American market.

“Successful cruise lines target their product offerings and the guest experience to specific source markets,” explained Clasen.

A second cruise brand being developed by Cruise Saudi, Aman at Sea, will be a ultra-luxury experience on-par with Silversea, Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas, and will target the global luxury cruise market.

Alongside these cruise lines, Cruise Saudi is also developing the local infrastructure, services and know-how to enable the domestic cruise industry to flourish in Saudi Arabia.

“When I say cruise industry, it’s not just about (establishing) a cruise line; we are also developing ports, terminals, and shore excursions,” said Clasen, adding that the cruise industry as a substantial global business opportunity. “The cruise industry is a fairly large industry worldwide.”

Cruise Saudi expects its plans to pay off by 2030 to 2035, when Saudi Arabia will welcome an expected 1.3 million people annually, generating 50,000 direct and indirect jobs in the cruise sector domestically.