Abu Dhabi, UAE, 17 February 2022<\/strong>\u00a0– The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be the base next winter for the biggest and most environmentally high-performing passenger ship to sail in the Middle East,\u00a0MSC World Europa.<\/em><\/p>\n The vessel\u2019s Swiss-based owner and operator MSC will also dedicate a second ship,\u00a0MSC Opera<\/em>, to the Gulf region for the 2022\/23 sailing season as it aims to further strengthen its position as the region\u2019s number one line for holidays at sea.<\/p>\n The announcement was made by MSC Cruises\u2019 CEO Gianni Onorato following the official opening this week by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler\u2019s representative in the Al Dhafra region of the UAE, of a new jetty for passenger ships at Sir Bani Yas Island.<\/p>\n This development, according to MSC, will be greatly welcomed by cruise holidaymakers visiting the incredible island off the coast of Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n Mr Onorato hailed the cruise sector in the UAE as being an integral part of its dynamic tourism industry, paid tribute to the health and safety measures throughout the country and described MSC Cruises\u2019 business outlook for next winter in the UAE and the Gulf as \u2018very positive\u2019 as a result.<\/p>\n Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises<\/strong>, said,\u00a0\u201cThe UAE is a very important market for us and next winter we are going to deploy our newest addition to our fleet – MSC World Europa – and further increase our capacity from this year with the introduction of a second ship, MSC Opera, in recognition of the region\u2019s ever growing status in the cruise sector.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMSC World Europa will redefine the cruise experience with a variety of never-before-seen features unlike anything at sea today and the vessel will be an additional benefit to the UAE\u2019s tourism industry. The ship will attract many international passengers from around the world, especially from Europe, and we hope to also see strong interest from guests from the Gulf Cooperation Council, especially the UAE.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>\u201cOne of our newest ships MSC Virtuosa, is currently deployed in the Arabian Gulf and although there are challenges ashore associated with the global pandemic, we have worked closely with the relevant authorities throughout the region to ensure the health and safety of our passengers, crew and the communities that the ship visits. The combination of onboard measures along with those ashore have been extemely effective, as demonstrated by the fact that MSC Viruosa is one of our best performing ships during the winter season.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>Deployment in the Arabian Gulf<\/strong><\/p>\n MSC Virtuosa\u00a0<\/em>on 26 Marchwill finish her scheduled voyages in the UAE and be replaced by\u00a0MSC Bellissima\u00a0<\/em>between 2 April and 25 June, 2022.\u00a0<\/em>This is the first time MSC Cruises has extended its sailing season in the Gulf and offer spring break holidays at sea.<\/p>\n MSC World Europa<\/em>\u00a0from December will be based in the UAE offering 7-night cruises\u00a0from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Sir Bani Yas Island, Dammam in Saudi Arabia and Doha in Qatar.<\/p>\n MSC Opera<\/em>\u00a0will offer a different and contrasting 7-night itinerary from Dubai and Abu Dhabi also calling at Sir Bani Yas Island. \u00a0Guests can then discover Oman with a call at the capital city Muscat, one of the oldest cities in the Middle East, and Khasab, the country\u2019s most northerly city.\u00a0 The cruise finishes with an overnight in Dubai to give guests plenty of time to explore the incredible metropolis.<\/p>\n About MSC World Europa<\/strong><\/p>\n MSC World Europa<\/em>\u00a0is currently under construction at the Chantiers de l\u2019Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and will be delivered in October 2022 before she sets sail for the Arabian Gulf to operate cruises from December until March 2023.<\/p>\n The 2,626 cabin vessel will be able to accommodate up to 6,762 passengers, have a gross tonnage of 205,700 GT and is 333.3 meters in length.\u00a0 The ship will be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG), the first vessel in MSC Cruises\u2019 fleet to use the cleanest fuel currently available at scale for ocean cruise ships.<\/p>\n MSC Cruises shares the UAE\u2019s ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and the LNG-powered\u00a0MSC World Europa\u00a0<\/em>represents a major milestone in the company\u2019s strategy to achieve its goal of eradicating carbon emissions.<\/p>\n