Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Cruise Saudi appoints Lars Clasen as CEO

CRUISE_Lars_Clasen.jpg
Lars Clasen brings experience from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Dolce Cruise Management, A-ROSA and AIDA Cruises
Cruise industry veteran executive Lars Clasen was appointed CEO of Cruise Saudi.

He brings more than 30 years of international experience. He was managing director at The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, co-founder and MD of Dolce Cruise Management and CEO of A-ROSA River Cruises, president of AIDA Cruises. He also founded Lars Clasen Cruise Consulting. 

Fawaz Farooqui, managing director of Cruise Saudi, welcomed Clasen.

Tremendous progress

'As a cruise professional and enthusiast, I’ve been following the tremendous progress Cruise Saudi has made in such a short span of time,' Clasen said, '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.

'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.'

Clasen's appointment follows that of Norbert Stiekema to chief sales and marketing officer for Cruise Saudi in December.