Private island in Red Sea to promote Saudi cruise tourism
Saudi Arabia is set to enhance its
cruise tourism sector with the development of a private island in the Red Sea,
specifically for cruise passengers. The project, spearheaded by Cruise Saudi—a
subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF)—has awarded a development
contract to Jeddah-based PC Marine Services.
The private island will offer an
array of amenities, including a welcome center, dining facilities, and a beach
club with private villas and sunbeds. Designed to accommodate up to 2,000
guests, the island will serve as an exclusive day-trip destination for cruise
passengers and is expected to welcome its first visitors in December.
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PC Marine Services brings
significant expertise to the project, having previously worked on the Obhur
Waterfront Jeddah development and enhancing cruise berths in Jeddah, Dammam,
and Yanbu.
In May, the Saudi Red Sea Authority
granted a license to Cruise Saudi, allowing the company to begin bookings for
its Aroya Cruises ship. Since its inception in 2021, Cruise Saudi has hosted
370,000 passengers at three ports equipped to accommodate luxury liners.
Looking forward, Cruise Saudi aims
to attract 1.3 million passengers annually by 2035, contributing an estimated
$200 million to the local economy. In an interview at the Arabian Travel Market
in 2023, Miguel Reyna, Cruise Saudi’s Chief Asset Development and Port
Operations Officer, expressed a desire for 70-80% of cruise passengers to
participate in onshore excursions, a significant increase from the current 35%
average.
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As part of Saudi Arabia’s broader
tourism goals, the government is also launching a new airline and expanding
airport infrastructure to reach 150 million tourist visits per year.
Source: https://www.agbi.com/
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