São Paulo –This past Thursday (11th), DP World inaugurated the world’s largest cruise terminal, at Port Rashid, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The new facilities can accommodate 14,000 passengers per day and, in tandem with two other existing cruise terminals at the site, it will drive up capacity from 2 to 7 million tourists a year. The information was disclosed in a statement by the Dubai-based ports operator.
Dubai’s crown prince Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the terminal.
“The terminal is the largest and most modern cruise facility in the Middle East and the wider region, enabling award winning Mina Rashid to now serve up to seven cruise vessels at one time and more than 25,000 passengers in its three cruise terminals. This expansion came in response to requests from cruise liners and will enable them to increase the number of their trips to Dubai,” said DP World chairman Ahmed Bin Sulayem, according to the statement.
On the inauguration date, the new terminal received 4,000 passengers from cruise ships Costa Cruzeiros and Aida Cruzeiros, which were touring the Gulf. The new facility, which has been dubbed the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, takes up a 28,000 square-metre area.
As per the statement, the terminal was designed with utmost concern for environmental protection and built using recycled materials from the Jebel Ali Free Zone, also in Dubai.
The building features a system for minimizing sun heat and LED-controlled lighting. It also boasts a parking lot for bicycles and electric cars, including charging stations. The parking lot spans 70,000 square metres and can also accommodate 36 buses and 150 taxis.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
