Dubai, Jan 30 (IANS) An new port terminal being built here in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to boost cruise tourism in a big way, WAM news agency reported.
Though an exact launch date has still not been set, the new cruise terminal at Port Rashid is expected to open next month.

The opening could possibly coincide with the naming of the new cruise ship by Costa Cruises Feb 23, WAM said Friday.

Hamad Bin Mejren, executive director of business tourism at the Dubai Tourism Department, said the new terminal will give “a big boost to the cruise tourism segment” and will promote Dubai as one of the best cruise destinations in the region.

The ship will be sailing around the Gulf from March and is expected to increase the number of cruise tourists visiting Dubai by 40 percent, according to Costa Cruises. “We hope the opening of the terminal can take place on that occasion, but I cannot confirm,” Bin Mejren said.

Three major cruise companies, Costa Cruises, Aida Cruises and Royal Caribbean, are already using Port Rashid.

And “in the near future, we expect other important cruise operators (would start) using the new terminal,” Bin Mejren said. This year, the number of cruise tourists is expected to increase to 325,000 from 250,000 in 2009.

“By 2015, we look forward to having 575,000 cruise tourists visiting Dubai,” he said. This year, Dubai will be hosting 120 ships. By 2015, the number of cruise ships is expected to rise to 195 annually.

The new terminal covers 3,450 sq metres and is designed to handle four ships simultaneously.

“It is managed by DP World. All the cargo operations have already been moved from Port Rashid to Jebel Ali,” Lawrie Pattison, head of marketing at DP World, told Gulf News.

The facade of the new terminal building is based on contemporary Arabic design. Traditional domes, arches and carvings are the major architectural elements that constitute the exterior facades.

The terminal provides a tourist support infrastructure which includes facilities like money exchange, ATMs, a post office, a duty free shop, souvenir shops, and a business centre with Wi-Fi and cable internet access, as well as a VIP section.

In addition, the terminal houses offices for representatives of government bodies such as immigration, customs and police.