Saif Saeed Gobash, Director-General of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi , stated that Abu Dhabi is a major destination for international nautical tourism while noting that this sector has witnesses continuous growth, which is expected to reach around 5 percent for the current 20177-2018 season.

In a special statement to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, on the sidelines of today’s announcement on the launch of the 2017-2018 cruise season in Abu Dhabi, he added that there is an overall desire to provide integrated services to tourists, which will strengthen Abu Dhabi’s stature as one of the most important cities in terms of nautical tourism.

He explained that 345,961 tourists were registered during last year’s nautical tourism season, and this number is expected to increase during the current season.

Today’s announcement coincided with the arrival of the luxury cruise ship, Seaborne Encore, and its 604 passengers, at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal in Zayed Port.

The current cruise season in Abu Dhabi, between October 2017 and May 2018, will witness the arrival of three types of luxury cruise ships, which will sail along the nautical routes for seasonal trips to sunny winter destinations in the Arabian Gulf.

Ghobash expressed his happiness at the launch of a new cruise season in Abu Dhabi while thanking Abu Dhabi Ports, Etihad Airways, and the partners of the local tourism sector, especially nautical tourism, which will help to achieve their annual targeted growth rates in terms of the numbers of the ships and passengers arriving at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal.

Abdulkareem Al Masabi, Executive Vice President of Abu Dhabi Ports, stated that Abu Dhabi Ports plays an important role, in co-operation with the department, in enhancing Abu Dhabi’s stature as a leading centre for cruises while expressing his happiness at the launch of the local cruise season.

He pointed out that the previous cruise season was a record year, and new records are expected during the current season.

Abu Dhabi has registered an increased growth in the number of tourists arriving from cruise ships at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, due to a series of initiatives that resulted in the development of the local nautical tourism sector.