The Mina Rashid port in Dubai, UAE, has been voted the leading cruise port in the Middle East region for the eighth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards held in Dubai.

The award also marks the 15th time Mina Rashid has been recognised at the major industry showcase for the global travel industry.

The new eco-friendly and ultra-modern Hamdan Bin Mohammad Cruise Terminal at Mina Rashid played a major role in the win.
 
Inaugurated in December 2014 by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, it can handle up to 14,000 cruise passengers in a single day, making it the world’s largest covered modern cruise facility.

On behalf of DP World, Ayman Al Shehhi, the operations manager at Mina Rashid, received the award at a special event held in Dubai.

The nominees for the award this year included Doha Port, Jeddah Islamic Port, Khalifa Bin Salman Port, Port of Aqaba and the Port of Sultan Qaboos. Mina Rashid Port was chosen as a leader in its industry across the region.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the chairman of DP World, said: "It is a great honour to be recognised by the World Travel Awards for eight consecutive years which highlights our success in developing cruise tourism as an important part of our economy. The modern infrastructure at Mina Rashid has also reinforced Dubai’s position as the leading regional cruise hub."
 
He dubbed the new modern cruise facility as a jewel in Dubai’s crown with an area of 28,000 sq m that enabled Mina Rashid to serve up to seven cruise vessels at one time in its three terminals.

"Alongside these luxury cruise facilities, Mina Rashid Port has also increased its capacity to handle 25,000 passengers a day overall making it one of the most tourist-friendly ports in the world," noted bin Sulayem.

Mohammad Al Muallem, the senior vice president and managing director, DP World, UAE, Region, said: "Once again we share our win with our strategic partners in promoting cruise tourism in Dubai. They have played a critical role in our success and we thank them all for their contributions in making Mina Rashid a destination of choice for the finest cruise ships in the world."

"The new luxury cruise terminal is another example of our commitment to sustainability and the environment, using 75% recycled materials in the building of the facility. We are pleased to be honoured for our efforts to significantly reduce waste and focus on using renewable resources as raw materials," he added.

In January, Mina Rashid welcomed five cruise ships simultaneously for the first time in its history, with over 25,000 passengers disembarking at all three of its cruise terminals.-TradeArabia News Service