AROYA Cruises showcases Saudi design identity across Aroya cruise ship

AROYA Cruises has highlighted the Saudi-inspired design and artwork featured throughout its flagship vessel.

The interiors combine contemporary styling with references to the Kingdom’s landscapes, architecture, and artistic heritage as the ship continues its Mediterranean deployment.

Aroya Cruises has provided further insight into the design philosophy behind its flagship vessel, revealing how Saudi culture, art, and craftsmanship have been integrated throughout the ship’s public spaces, accommodation and dining venues.

The vessel, operated by Cruise Saudi’s Aroya Cruises brand, was designed by London-based SMC Design and combines contemporary interiors with references to Saudi Arabia’s landscapes, architecture, and cultural traditions.

Spread across 19 decks, the ship features 1,678 cabins and suites with capacity for up to 3,362 guests.

The design incorporates entertainment venues, restaurants, cafés, wellness facilities and retail spaces intended to create what the company describes as a distinctly Saudi hospitality experience at sea.

Several decks are dedicated to the ship’s premium Khuzama accommodation, which includes 145 suites and nine villas, among them a Royal Villa and two Presidential Villas, together with dedicated dining facilities.

The ship is currently operating its summer Mediterranean programme from Istanbul, offering seven-night itineraries to destinations in Turkey, Greece, and Egypt before returning to the Red Sea later this year.

“Visually, we wanted the brand to feel elegant and contemporary, while still emotionally connected to our culture. It feels modern and global, but still unmistakably rooted in the region,” said Ghadah Marghalani, Branding and Communications Director, Cruise Saudi.

“We intentionally designed spaces that allow guests to engage with Saudi culture in a subtle, elevated and contemporary way – not through clichés or overly literal interpretations, but through atmosphere, materials, storytelling and emotion.”

Natural colours and textures drawn from the Red Sea, the Asir Mountains and the sand dunes of Al Ahsa have been incorporated into flooring, furnishings and decorative finishes, while geometric patterns inspired by Najdi and Hijazi architecture feature throughout the ship.

Artwork also forms a significant component of the onboard experience. More than 2,600 commissioned contemporary artworks are displayed throughout the ship, with approximately 65 per cent created by Saudi artists.

Among the featured works are handwoven basketry by Saudi artisan Masouma Al Hamdan in Marka Café and an acrylic relief celebrating Kufic calligraphy by artist Ahmad Tariq Jeddawi in the ship’s library. A digital installation in the Timeline Corridor visualises real-time Red Sea tidal movements, combining traditional craftsmanship with digital technology.

The vessel also features themed venues reflecting different aspects of Saudi identity. Irth restaurant showcases cuisine from the Kingdom’s five regions alongside interiors incorporating woven textiles, carved gypsum panels and palm weaving.

Elsewhere, the retro-inspired Space Diner pays tribute to Saudi Arabia’s growing space ambitions through a design influenced by 1950s American diners and the Saudi Space Agency’s Human Space Flight Programme.

The emphasis on Saudi design and culture reflects Aroya Cruises’ broader strategy of differentiating itself within the regional cruise market by presenting an onboard experience rooted in Arabian hospitality and contemporary Saudi identity, complementing its expanding itineraries across the Mediterranean and Red Sea.