Connections Cruise Arabia summit launched amid robust growth in local cruise sector

Jacobs Media will launch Connections Cruise Arabia, a dedicated B2B cruise summit for the Arabian Gulf, amid rampant growth in the local cruise industry. 

Set to take place in March 2026, the summit was described in a press release as the first of its kind in the region, but media group Seatrade previously held a B2B focused Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum until 2017.

The new two-day event organised by Jacobs Media will bring together more than 300 senior leaders from across the regional and global cruise and travel sectors, to discuss the future of cruise tourism in the Middle East.

As part of the Connections brand, the summit will focus on both inbound and outbound cruise opportunities in the Arabian Gulf, with pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, a ‘New to Cruise’ training platform, and insightful panels covering infrastructure, sustainability, regional development, and the economic impact of cruise tourism.

The event comes as the Arabian Gulf region rapidly emerges as a significant player in the global cruise industry, with executives from major global cruise lines describing the region as one of the most promising growth opportunities for cruise tourism worldwide during the recent Arabian Travel Market. 

According to Tourism Economics, the Middle East has seen a 125% increase in average cruise days between 2019 and 2024, while Dubai’s strategic location and substantial investments in tourism infrastructure, have seen it emerge as a global cruise hub.

Dubai hosts at least four homeporting ships annually during the winter cruise season, including MSC Cruises, AIDA Cruises, TUI Cruises, and Costa Cruises, and in recent years has seen the entry of newcomers Resorts World Cruises, and Celestyal Cruises.

Celestyal Cruises in particular experienced so much demand for roundtrip cruises in the Arabian Gulf, that it has doubled its capacity in the region for the upcoming 2025/26 season, while MSC Cruises is deploying the largest ship in its fleet, MSC World Europa, to Dubai for the 2026/27 season.

“Connections Cruise Arabia is a powerful extension of the Connections portfolio, which has driven progress in the travel industry over the last 10 years through the ‘Connections Way’ – a pioneering event format of forging meaningful business relationships through shared experiences,” said Clive Jacobs, chairman and founder of Jacobs Media.

With the global cruise industry projected to reach a revenue of US $18.4bn by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 12.9% , the Arabian Gulf’s investments indicate that the region will continue to establish itself as a global hub for the industry.