AROYA Cruises reveals debut passenger numbers and plans for second Red Sea island

AROYA Cruises has announced that it welcomed more than 92,000 passengers in its first four months of operation, including 38,000 during Ramadan, as the Saudi-owned cruise line concludes its debut season in the Red Sea.

The figures were confirmed by AROYA’s Executive Director of Marketing, Turky Kari, during Arabian Travel Market 2025, while the cruise line’s parent company Cruise Saudi announced during the same event that it plans to develop a second island in the Red Sea.

Both announcements were first reported by Arabian Business. 

Kari said AROYA Cruises had seen strong uptake among first-time cruisers from Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, as well as international travellers from Europe, Russia, and Central Asia.

AROYA currently operates two itineraries from Jeddah — a three-night weekend cruise from Thursday to Sunday and a four-night sailing from Sunday to Thursday. Both routes include a stop at Saba Beach on Jabal Al-Sabaya island, while weekday cruises also call at ports such as Sharm El-Sheikh, Aqaba, and Safaga, offering connections to Cairo.

The company also introduced a Ramadan-themed programme, Ramadan Along the Horizon, in which the ship remained anchored in front of Jeddah Yacht Club to offer Iftar and Suhoor dining and overnight stays, drawing tens of thousands of visitors during the holy month.

From June 12ᵗʰ, AROYA Cruises will reposition its vessel to the Mediterranean, sailing a nine-night voyage from Jeddah to Istanbul via the Suez Canal. Mediterranean itineraries from June 21ᵗʰ will include Bodrum, Kaş, Kuşadası, Mykonos, Athens, and Rhodes. Fares start from SAR 999 (approximately USD 266) for a three-night Red Sea sailing, with premium “Khuzama” experiences offering added exclusivity.

The ship features 1,600 cabins and a wide range of onboard facilities, including 12 restaurants, 17 bars and cafes, a theatre, spa, zip line, children’s areas, and water attractions.

Second Red Sea island in development

Cruise Saudi, which owns AROYA Cruises and is part of the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, has confirmed plans for a second private island destination in the Red Sea. 

The new island, located north of Jeddah, will include a pier to allow direct docking for large ships — unlike Saba Beach, where vessels anchor offshore and tender passengers to land.

Barbara Buczek, Chief Destination Experiences Officer at Cruise Saudi, said the new island is expected to open by late 2027 and will support northern Red Sea itineraries. The destination will offer more permanent infrastructure than Saba Beach, though specific features are yet to be disclosed.

Cruise Saudi is advancing several projects to expand cruise infrastructure across the Kingdom:

Al Wajh port to provide access to AlUla and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, positioned as a gateway for cultural and eco-tourism excursions.

Development of a new cruise hub in Jeddah, separate from the Islamic Port, for improved passenger handling.

Expansion of Dammam terminal to allow for homeporting and interporting, beyond its current role as a port of call.

Since launching operations in 2021, Cruise Saudi has facilitated nearly half a million cruise visitors in Saudi Arabia from over 130 nationalities across 16 cruise lines. The company aims to welcome 1.3 million cruise passengers annually by 2035 as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and grow inbound tourism.