The only cruise blog for the Middle East and South Africa
Cruise Saudi hires former AIDA Cruises president Lars Clasen as CEO
Cruise Saudi has appointed Lars Clasen as CEO as it continues to expand its executive team amid the ongoing development of the country’s nascent cruise industry.
Clasen is the former Managing Director at The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Co-founder and Managing Director of Dolce Cruise Management, CEO of A-ROSA River Cruises, and President of AIDA Cruises.
He is a global industry expert with 30+ years of experience in the shipping and cruise industries across Asia, Europe and North America, according to a press release.
Jeddah Waterfront
RELATED: Saudi Arabia introduces electronic visa for cruise tourists
RELATED: Cruise Saudi joins CLIA amid expansion of cruise plans
Cruise Saudi said his experience in the industry is suited for the organisation as it pursues its development of the cruise sector in the Kingdom, the Red Sea and elsewhere.
“We are excited to announce that Lars Clasen has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of Cruise Saudi,” said Fawaz Farooqui, Managing Director of Cruise Saudi. “Clasen brings three decades of experience in the global cruising industry, and we look forward to having him as a key member of the team.”
Clasen said the progress Cruise Saudi has made in pioneering the growth of a new cruise industry in the country is truly impressive, and expressed his excitement at the prospect of taking it further.
“As a cruise professional and enthusiast, I’ve been following the tremendous progress Cruise Saudi has made in such a short span of time; from setting up an entirely new industry and welcoming guests on cruise ships for the first time in Saudi Arabia, to garnering a great deal of attention globally as the newest player in the cruise industry,” he said.
Lars Clasen
“I am honored to be joining a diligent team of professionals and look forward to achieving more milestones together as Cruise Saudi embarks upon a new phase of development in opening not just one gateway, but several new gateways connecting the world to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Saudi Arabia announced in September last year that it would be allowing cruise ships to visit the country and homeport in Jeddah. MSC Cruises was the first to do so with MSC Bellissima, which has been confirmed for a regular annual winter season for at least the next five years.
Saudi Arabia’s opening up to cruise lines offers international and local guests opportunities to discover the country and its many World Heritage sites, as well as Egypt and Jordan by cruise ship – exploring their culture, history, tradition and enjoying their beaches.
MSC Bellissima will sail 7-night cruises from Jeddah, calling at the ports of Ras Al Abyad, Aqaba for Petra in Jordan, Safaga for Luxor in Egypt and Al Wajh and Yanbu, in Saudi Arabia.
Share this:
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Categories: Middle East Cruise News , News
Tagged as: Cruise Saudi , Saudi Arabia
Published by Shaun Ebelthite
Founder and editor of Cruise Arabia & Africa. I try to create the best news and information specifically for cruise passengers taking cruises to and from Dubai (where I live) and South Africa (where I was born). You can contact me at shaun(at)cruisearabiaonline.com. View all posts by Shaun Ebelthite
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Get in touch.
Email : shaun(at)cruise-arabia.com
Discover more from
Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.
Type your email…
Continue reading
IMAGES
COMMENTS
AIDA Cruises is a German cruise line founded in the early 1960s and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Costa Crociere S.p.A., which in turn belongs to Carnival Corporation & plc. Based in Rostock, Germany , [1] AIDA Cruises caters primarily to the German-speaking market; as seagoing "club resorts", AIDA ships have on-board amenities and ...
With AIDA's growth, Germany became one of the top cruise source markets globally. Advancing to Costa Group CEO in July 2012, he moved to Genoa and inherited the aftermath of Costa Concordia's deadly capsize earlier that year, in January, and worked to restore the Costa brand's reputation. He later would lead the company's expansion into China.
Arnold Donald Named Vice Chair, Josh Weinstein Named President & CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc. MIAMI, April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company, today announced that effective August 1 st, Arnold Donald, currently President and Chief Executive Officer, is being appointed Vice Chair and member of the Boards of ...
Clasen is the former Managing Director at The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Co-founder and Managing Director of Dolce Cruise Management, CEO of A-ROSA River Cruises, and President of AIDA Cruises. He is a global industry expert with 30+ years of experience in the shipping and cruise industries across Asia, Europe and North America, according ...