44 COVER STORY Advancing the Arabian cruise market Cruise Saudi and its cruise line, AROYA Cruises, are pioneering a new era of tourism in Saudi Arabia to transform the kingdom into a premier global cruise destination. Lars Clasen tells Rebecca Gibson more Famed as the home of the two holiest cities in Islam, natural attractions like the biodiverse Red Sea and Asir Mountains, Unesco World Heritage sites, contemporary cities and warm Hafawa hospitality, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to become one of the world’s top tourism destinations by 2030. Launched in 2021 by the state-owned Public Investment Fund as part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy, Cruise Saudi has been tasked with developing 10 cruise destinations by 2035 and reaching 1.33 million passengers by 2037. “Our mandate was to build a full cruise ecosystem from the ground up,” says Lars Clasen, CEO of Cruise Saudi. The organisation is responsible for building port infrastructure and coordinating shore excursions, vessel operations and marketing. It is focused on two core pillars: destination experiences, and cruise and maritime experiences. “Under our destination experiences mandate, our focus is on shaping distinctive, market-ready offerings that enhance the guest journey with an authentic value proposition,” says Clasen. “Across key gateways such as Dammam, Jeddah and Yanbu, we are curating a portfolio of cultural, heritage, nature-based and lifestyle experiences tailored to different source markets and their preferences. This is done in close “ One of our strategic goals was to unite the Red Sea, and Mediterranean under a single, cohesive cruising ecosystem”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=