Cruise ships will return to Abu Dhabi from September 1 2021, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced.
It follows months of port closures in 2020 as a result of the emirate’s strict COVID-19 precautionary measures.
In 2019, Abu Dhabi’s maritime tourism witnessed impressive growth, resulting in a record-breaking year for the sector. Around 500,000 cruise visitors arrived in the emirate’s ports throughout the year, up 46 per cent compared to 2018. Similarly, the number of cruise calls increased 43 per cent in 2019 to reach a total of 192.
“We are well prepared to receive and welcome vaccinated visitors to the UAE’s capital once again and are excited to see the resumption of cruise activities at both Zayed Port and Sir Bani Yas Island,” confirmed Noura Rashed Al Dhaheri, Managing Director – Cruise Business, Abu Dhabi Ports.
“As the well-being of all travellers visiting our emirate remains our highest priority, we have implemented a cruise management plan to ensure an efficient, smooth, and safe return to regular cruise operations.
“In line with Abu Dhabi’s health protocols for international arrivals, Abu Dhabi Ports is initiating several health and safety measures to protect passengers and crew, which includes daily sterilisation activities across the terminal, the requirement of PCR testing before embarkation, as well as the implementation of a comprehensive emergency response plan for handling positive cases within the terminal.”
