Serafin Blazquez, executive director at Cruise Saudi, said: “We were founded in 2021 to develop the cruise sector in Saudi Arabia. We have two very ambitious targets, which are to open 10 destinations by 2030 and to reach 1.33 million cruise passengers by 2037.”
Speaking on a MedCruise Insider podcast episode, Blazquez said that the company oversees the whole operation: anything related to the cruise industry, starting from port development. This includes destination management and where passengers are visiting in Saudi Arabia.
According to the executive director, the company has the following ports in operation: Jeddah, Yanbu, Saba Beach and Dammam.
Creating a Destination
According to Blazquez, building a cruise destination requires coordination with government entities, private stakeholders and international cruise lines.
He said that the company has developed existing and new port infrastructure to accommodate cruise ships.
Cruise Saudi also works with the government, tour operators and cruise lines to identify all the required needs.
“There are different needs … so we identify all these requests and all these needs,” Blazquez said. “We put together all these requirements and needs to customize our services and to be sure that we are providing the best experience to all the passengers. We never forget the crew members.”
Blazquez reiterated the importance of working with other entities to get information so as to find a balance between passenger expectations and the destination’s authenticity.
Private Islands and New Destinations
“Saba Beach, which is our first island development, gives us the possibility to continue diversifying our offering that we currently have in Saudi Arabia. We are talking about a great destination with some beaches with coral reefs,” Blazquez said.
He added: “We see that private islands will continue playing an important role for international cruise lines. They give the possibility of an exclusive experience in a controlled environment where the passengers can receive a customized experience.”
“We have principles, and sustainability is one of them. We are guided by the Saudi 2030 Vision, where sustainability and green initiatives are a must. So from the beginning of Saba Beach that we started in 2024, we decided to follow any sustainable and green initiatives that could be implemented,” he noted.
Blazquez explained that the company conducted an environmental assessment that was shared with the local entities and government to ensure alignment in all the construction and minimal impact.
“We use prefabricated buildings, and we put in place some additional measures to be sure that we are protecting the island surroundings and supporting the local economies. We are also looking into all the logistics needed to develop our destination,” he said.
Aroya Cruises
“We are receiving Aroya ships in our ports, and it’s an amazing experience. We are so happy to have them visiting and calling in Saudi Arabia,” Blazquez said.
He explained that Aroya Cruises was designed to provide an Arabian experience and to promote the Arabian culture and hospitality.
“Aroya management identified a gap in the market to create a product that is 100 percent focused on Arabian experience. They created this immersive experience,” Blazquez added.
Looking Forward
“The Saudi 2030 Vision aims to welcome 150 million visitors by 2030. Our contribution is developing the ports, the different terminal infrastructures.
“We also have two other projects that are under development. One is AlWajh. AlWajh will be our gateway to AlUla. We are also working on a project to expand our availability to accommodate large cruise ships and to increase the number of cruise passengers that we can receive in Jeddah on the same day,” he added.
