A milestone was marked for the emirate on 12 April 2012, when five ships carrying a total of 15,000 passengers and 4,000 crew docked at the Dubai Cruise Terminal.

The Queen Mary 2, Costa Victoria, Costa Favalosa, Pacific Princess and Silver Whisper were welcomed with a gala ceremony organized by DTCM which manages the cruise terminal in conjunction with DP World.

71 cruise ships carrying 275,000 passengers are expected to call into Dubai during the first-half of 2012 with projected numbers growing steadily year-on-year.

150 cruise ships are expected in 2013 carrying 525,000 passengers with figures increasing to 180 cruise ships carrying 625,000 passengers in 2015.