Cruise Egypt Forum to debut in Cairo as Middle East cruise sector accelerates

The inaugural Cruise Egypt Forum will take place in Cairo on June 1st and 2nd, 2025, as the country looks to leverage robust growth in the regional cruise sector and drive a new phase of strategic growth.

Held under the theme Navigate Egyptian Legacy, the event marks Egypt’s first dedicated platform for the cruise industry and underscores the country’s ambition to become a key destination on international cruise routes.

Organised under the auspices and participation of the Suez Canal Authority, and supported by partners from the Arabian Gulf and Europe, the forum will convene senior stakeholders from across the global cruise and tourism sectors. 

These include executives from leading cruise lines, international tourism and port companies, senior government officials, and maritime transport experts. Together, they will explore opportunities to expand Egypt’s cruise infrastructure, enhance the traveller experience, and unlock new investment potential.

The forum is aligned with Egypt’s National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism 2030 and its broader development agenda under Vision 2030, which targets 30 million tourist arrivals annually by 2028. 

Cruise tourism has been identified as one of the fastest-growing and most promising pillars of this strategy, offering a pathway to sustainable growth and year-round visitor flows, mirroring sentiments expressed during the recent Cruise Arabia panel at Arabian Travel Market.

The Cruise Egypt Forum agenda will feature a mix of strategic discussions and technical workshops focused on port development, streamlining maritime procedures, and integrating land and sea-based travel programmes. 

A cultural tour of Cairo, including visits to the Grand Egyptian Museum and Khan El Khalili, will also be offered to highlight the potential of combining heritage tourism with cruise itineraries.

The event comes as cruise lines expand their presence in Egypt and the wider region. Viking, which has established itself as a global leader in river cruising, is pursuing ambitious growth plans on the Nile, revitalising luxury river cruising between Luxor and Aswan, while MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises are deploying their largest ships to Dubai for the 2026/27 season.

Across the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf ports are scaling up operations to meet rising demand, with new terminals, homeporting arrangements, and itinerary diversification supporting the region’s evolution into a year-round cruise destination. 

Saudi Arabia, in particular, has launched the Arab world’s first homegrown cruise line, AROYA Cruises, and its parent company Cruise Saudi has plans to develop at least ten ports on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.

During the recent Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, cruise line executives expressed long-term optimism in the potential of the Red Sea as a major cruise destination.

The convergence of strategic location, growing outbound travel demand, and government-led tourism initiatives has positioned the Middle East as both a valuable source market and an increasingly attractive stop for global cruise itineraries.

The Cruise Egypt Forum aims to consolidate this momentum, serving as a platform to attract international partnerships, promote integrated cruise offerings, and ensure that Egypt plays a central role in the region’s next chapter of cruise tourism growth.