MSC Group's Cruise Division has signed a five-year agreement with Cruise Saudi for preferential berthing rights in the port of Jeddah, further demonstrating its long-term commitment to supporting the development of the local tourism sector through cruise operations in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. The announcement was made in Jeddah as the MSC Bellissima officially inaugurated the city's new passenger terminal with a commemorative event on board.
The new cruise terminal will welcome passengers on board next week for the highly anticipated inaugural season of MSC Bellissima in the Red Sea, with 3 and 4 night cruises from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to both Egypt and Jordan until the end of October.
The special event held today aboard MSC Bellissima was hosted by Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, and Fawaz Farooqui, Managing Director of Cruise Saudi, before local dignitaries, senior officials from the Saudi Tourism Authority, Cruise Saudi, the Saudi Ports Authority – Mawani, as well as members of the Saudi media and tourism community. The ship's captain, Roberto Leotta, who will lead MSC Bellissima in the coming months, exchanged crescent moons with Fawaz Farooqui in a traditional maritime ceremony to mark a ship's maiden call.
Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Cruises, said: “This is a very special and historic day for all of us. The largest and most modern cruise ship operating in the Red Sea has set sail from the new Jeddah terminal to mark a new beginning for cruising in Saudi Arabia and, more broadly, for its growing tourism industry. We can now allow our global passenger base to come and experience our unique itineraries in this beautiful country with its UNESCO World Heritage sites and pristine coastlines. And with the new agreement in place, together with Cruise Saudi, we will work in unison to develop this very special aspect of the determined and sustainable growth of tourism in Saudi Arabia, which perfectly reflects our own strategy and ambition.”
Mark Robinson, Chief Commercial Officer of Cruise Saudi, added: “This event marks a major milestone for Cruise Saudi, and indeed for the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia, in line with Vision 2030. Cruise Saudi was established just six months ago, and in these few months we have been able to work with international partners such as the MSC Group Cruises Division and national bodies such as the Saudi Port Authority, MAWANI, the Red Sea Terminal, the Saudi Tourism Authority, the Ministries of Transport, Culture, Health and Tourism, Saudi Customs and Immigration, the Saudi Border Guard, the Jeddah Chambers of Commerce, and many other such organizations to build Saudi Arabia’s first cruise terminal at the Islamic Port of Jeddah, and mobilize the infrastructure, workforce, and systems necessary to welcome global cruise lines for Saudi Arabia’s first full summer and winter cruise seasons.”
The MSC Foundation, the private non-profit organization of the MSC Group, and the Ba' Foundation, a non-profit organization in Saudi Arabia, announced today that they will join forces to promote coral conservation, thereby helping to safeguard marine ecosystems. Sharing a common goal of protecting and preserving the oceans, the two Foundations have joined forces to promote the practice and science of coral reef restoration and, more importantly, to disseminate the knowledge gained to the global public.
MSC Bellissima is one of the most innovative ships in the MSC Cruises fleet and is equipped with a wide range of state-of-the-art environmental features and innovative technology to reduce its environmental footprint. It also leads the ultramodern Meraviglia-Plus class of ships in the MSC Cruises fleet since its launch in 2019.
