Cruise Saudi welcomes first ship to King Abdulaziz port

MSC World Europa’s arrival opens Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coastline to cruising for the first time

The Saudi Red Sea Authority, The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) and Cruise Saudi have welcomed the first cruise ship to enter Dammam’s King Abdulaziz Port, with the arrival of MSC World Europa.

Carrying around 5,000 passengers, the ship’s arrival marks a historic moment for Cruise Saudi, opening the kingdom’s coastline on the Arabian Gulf to cruising for the first time.

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Cruise Saudi CEO Lars Clasen commented: “As we welcome the first cruise ship and first group of passengers to King Abdulaziz Port, we open a new and important gateway connecting Saudi Arabia to the rest of the world – via the Arabian Gulf.

"Cruise Saudi was established to develop the cruise industry in the country and welcome tourists to explore the unique and rich Saudi history, heritage and culture. And this moment marks another step toward our goal of establishing Saudi Arabia as a premier regional and global cruising destination.

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By leveraging its access to both the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, Saudi hopes to provide global cruise lines the opportunity to operate year-round cruising, which is not possible in many other major cruise destinations.

Cruise Saudi has previously welcomed four MSC cruise ships – MSC Splendida, MSC Orchestra, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Bellissima – to Jeddah Islamic Port and Yanbu Commercial Port to sail the Red Sea and is set to welcome more than 75 scheduled calls from ships from five global cruise lines this season.

For more information, visit www.cruisesaudi.com