The new Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal which officially opened last week, expects to welcome five times more passengers in the 2015-2016 season than it did just nine years ago. It is projecting more than 300,000 passengers by the 2019-2020 season.

Zayed Port was described as a “testament to Abu Dhabi’s commitment to providing world class infrastructure and services to support its growing tourism sector,” by Ali Majed Al Mansoori, chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council officiated at the grand opening and described the event as a “step change in how Abu Dhabi is perceived as a cruise destination." He said, "I anticipate Abu Dhabi’s wide-ranging landscapes and experiences, UNESCO inscribed heritage sites and the forthcoming world-renowned cultural museums on Saadiyat Island will continue to be the catalyst to attract more passengers to commence their cruises from Abu Dhabi on home porting vessels at the new state-of-the-art terminal facility in years to come."

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, celebrated the official opening of the new cruise terminal by flying in more than 650 guests for the inaugural voyage. In conjunction with MSC Cruises, Etihad Airways has created a special Fly-Cruise package. The MSC Musica, will serve the region for the 2015/2016 cruise season. Peter Baumgartner, chief commercial officer for Etihad Airways, said, “The new cruise terminal at Zayed Port represents our shared vision alongside our local partners to position Abu Dhabi as a world-class transport hub.

“Cruising is an exciting and fast growing sector of the travel industry and we look forward to helping develop this segment further with the expansion of our services from the brand new cruise terminal in Abu Dhabi.” Many of the ground services will also be handled by Etihad Airways and Hala Abu Dhabi, including a meet and greet service and return coach transfers between Abu Dhabi Airport and the Cruise Terminal. Additionally, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has placed 15 check-in counters at the cruise terminal where the airline will provide check-in services, allowing passengers to proceed directly to immigration and customs. Currently cruise passengers in the region need to disembark the ship and go to the airport to check-in for their flights.

Located at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Port, the new terminal covers 8,000sqm and houses all key passenger facilities, retail outlets and a café. The architectural design of the new terminal is based on the UAE’s heritage and identity with a view of the Louvre Museum. The cruise terminal is just one of the infrastructure developments intended to increase tourism in the capital city. Sultan Al Dhaheri from the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority said that tourism arrivals for 2015 have surged this year with records showing over four million visitors.