The Port of Abu Dhabi recorded its busiest cruise season in the 2022-2023 season. This was with more than 700,000 tourists visiting the city in 184 calls, more than 10% of which included an itinerary starting in the town.
The AD Ports Group, the cruise terminal operator, reported a solid first quarter in 2023. During that time, there were 363,494 tourists and 120 stops, compared to 89,953 visitors and 60 calls in 2022. Additionally, the number of guests during those months exceeded the total number in 2022 by over 37%.
Dubai's growth as the region's primary base port for tourist ships at Port Rashid and Dubai Port usually boosts the city's appeal as a travel destination. This season, over 82,000 passengers traveled on cruise ships from Abu Dhabi.
Passengers can start and end their cruise in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Doha, as MSC, Costa, and AIDA have connections between these cities.
"The growing number of visitors is a testament to Abu Dhabi's position as a world-class hub for maritime tourism and the confidence our partners in the cruise industry place in us to deploy their latest and greatest ships to the region," said Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO of AD Ports Group's Cluster of Ports.