KSA Business: Jeddah, Yanbu ports kick off 3rd Saudi cruise season – Gulf Digital News

KSA Business: Jeddah, Yanbu ports kick off 3rd Saudi cruise season – Gulf Digital News

Yanbu Commercial Port has officially kickstarted the third edition of the Saudi cruise season by berthing MSC Splendida, which arrived from Jeddah Islamic Port, thereby marking the maiden cruise call for the current season that will run until May 2023, reported SPA.

To celebrate the start of the new season, a crest exchange ceremony was held at Jeddah and Yanbu onboard the 4,300-passenger luxury liner, which is scheduled to make weekly trips from Jeddah Islamic Port as part of its itinerary that covers both the Red Sea hubs given their stature as fast-emerging cruise tourism destinations in the region besides Egypt and Jordan, stated the report.

The influx of cruise ships into the kingdom’s waters follows the strategic efforts of the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) to attract high vessel traffic and offer top tier services.

This comes as part of the kingdom's national transport and logistics strategy which aims to bolster the local economy, foster the growth of tourism sector, improve the overall quality of life, and enrich the local entertainment and sports scene with competitive offerings.

Mawani said the kingdom's ports were well-equipped to receive cruise vessels thanks to its state-of-the-art infrastructure and operational capabilities, which also makes it a preferred investment hotspot