IN light of the recent Concordia tragedy, the
Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA),
and Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing
(DTCM) have together rolled out new safety
measures aimed at enhancing cruise ship
safety and ensuring guest peace of mind.
As part of the safety measures, a new cruise
ship task force has been created to ensure the
safety of cruise ships arriving and departing
the emirate and to make sure Dubai is
prepared for a maritime disaster if ever one
should occur in its waters.
The measures also include the stipulation
that all vessels conduct evacuation exercises
before leaving Dubai.
Vessel inspections by maritime authorities
will also be increased to make sure vessels
comply with current standards and to ensure
that industry best practices are in the
forefront of cruise ship operators and owners
minds.
“Safety is very important in the cruise ship
industry,” said Ali Al Daboos, Executive
Director of DMCA.
“For this reason, DMCA constantly works to
review and update local laws, to ensure
compliance and adherence to best practices
and international standards.
“It is important that all industry
stakeholders must work as a team to achieve
our goal of putting Dubai on the global
maritime map as a safe tourist destination,
while enhancing
Dubai’s preparedness
to face any eventuality,”
Daboos added.
Pictured right, Serenade of
the Seas will spend December 2012 to April 2013 in Dubai.
