Atkins designed a new cruise ship terminal in Dubai which will be the premier facility in the Middle East. The terminal is capable of handling two 4,000-passenger ships simultaneously, moving 10,000 pieces of luggage through 100 percent screening in either embarkation or disembarkation mode. In addition, the terminal is flexible enough to handle home-port and port-of-call vessels at the same time, with their unique processing protocols. Due to the unusual European flight arrivals pattern, the pre-boarding lounge must comfortably seat over 3,000 passengers.

Being the first of its kind in the country, the Atkins team collaborated with the United Arab Emirates’ customs, immigration, and security agencies to create a blueprint for processing passengers, crew, baggage, and multiple vehicle modes, including privately owned vehicles (POVs), taxis, coach buses, provisioning trucks, and bonded luggage trucks. The $46 million, 200,000-square-foot facility was designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold status, and reflects the modern aesthetic pulse of Dubai while subtly recalling traditional forms and patterns.

• Architecture
• Ports and coastal engineering

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