Cruise Saudi has recruited Costa Cruises managing director Jorg Rudolph to head its new venture Aroya Cruises.
Rudolph has been appointed president of the start-up that bought Genting Hong Kong’s 150,700-gt cruise ship World Dream (built 2017) at auction in Singapore in March 2023 for $330m.
Rudolph, who is based at Aroya’s headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, brings three decades of senior management experience in companies such as TUI, Aida Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Color Line. His last role as managing director of Costa’s German branch stretched from February 2018 until he joined Cruise Saudi in January.
Owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Cruise Saudi is trying to put Saudi Arabia on the global cruise map by working with ministries and regulatory authorities to build the offshore and onshore ecosystem.
The World Dream, which has been renamed Manara, is being refitted in Bremerhaven, Germany.
Aroya’s preliminary marketing material indicates that the ship and cruise product will be tailored to Saudi and Middle East nationals and residents.
Cruising areas listed on its website are the Middle East Gulf, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
Although formal itineraries have yet to be announced, Aroya has targeted a start date for later this year.
It has yet to comment on how the crisis in the Red Sea will affect its plans.
