“Qatar’s cruise tourism sector has charted a banner 2025-2026 season, with the Old Doha Port cruise terminal welcoming 49 ship calls and ferrying in more than 200,000 passengers and crew — a haul that cements the country’s rising stature as a marquee stop on the global cruise circuit. Announcing the figures on its official X account, Mwani Qatar said the season also drew three cruise ships making their maiden visit to Qatar, a telling marker of the country’s growing prominence on the world cruise map. Visitors arriving at the terminal step into a seamless and well-rounded tourism experience. Strategically anchored in the heart of Doha, the cruise facility lies just minutes from Qatar’s leading attractions, and offers modern amenities, swift entry and exit procedures, and a curated portfolio of excursions that showcase both the country’s rich cultural heritage and its contemporary flair. These gains dovetail with the wider push by Qatar Tourism to deepen partnerships with international cruise lines, underpinning sustainable growth across the sector and advancing the national drive for economic diversification. Cruise tourism also plays a pivotal role in delivering the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 by lifting international visitor numbers and enriching the country’s tourism offering. At the heart of this success story is the transformation of Old Doha Port. Recently redeveloped into a fully integrated tourism destination, the port now boasts a state-of-the-art cruise terminal spanning more than 23,000sqm, with 750 meters of berths and a basin built to host two mega cruise ships simultaneously. In parallel, Qatar’s wider ports sector has undergone sweeping modernisation over the past decade, propelled by infrastructure upgrades and digital transformation. A standout among them is Hamad Port — one of the region’s most advanced — which harnesses automation and digital systems, including the ‘Mwani’ platform, to streamline operations and reinforce Qatar’s standing as a premier hub for maritime transport and cruise tourism.
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