Executives from Royal Caribbean, Celestyal, MSC confirmed for Dubai cruise forum

The Arabian Gulf’s first dedicated cruise leadership summit will be held onboard the QE2 Dubai on September 18th, 2025, bringing together senior figures from the international and regional cruise trade.

Connections Cruise Arabia, organised in partnership with Dubai’s Department of Economy & Tourism (DET), will convene 120 executives for a one-day forum focused on the development of the Gulf as a growing cruise hub. 

The programme will include strategic panel discussions and private meetings examining both inbound and outbound markets, regional infrastructure, and opportunities for the trade.

Speakers include representatives from major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises and Celestyal, alongside industry stakeholders and regional operators. 

Among those taking part are Jacobs Media Chairman and Founder Clive Jacobs, dnata CEO John Bevan, CLIA UK & Ireland Managing Director Andy Harmer, and DP World COO Hamza Mustafa. 

The agenda will also feature voices from the Middle East cruise industry, including CruiseXplore CEO Lakshmi Durai and Cruise Master Middle East Managing Director Ashok Kumar.

An industry-first element of the summit will be the release of the inaugural Connections Cruise Arabia Report, which will examine wider global trends in the sector while also providing data-led insights into the Gulf’s potential. 

The report is supported by analysis from CLIA, the world’s largest cruise association, and will include a practical guide for front-line sellers to better understand the region’s products.

The event is backed by key partners including DET, Emirates, and dnata, with cruise line sponsors such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea and Crystal. 

Connections Cruise Arabia 2025 speaker lineup:

• Clive Jacobs, Chairman and Founder, Jacobs Media
• John Bevan, CEO, dnata Travel
• Andy Harmer, Managing Director, CLIA UK & Ireland
• Hamza Mustafa, COO, Port Rashid & P&O Marinas, DP World
• Anna Gregori, VP Brand, PR & Customer Experience, Celestyal Cruises
• Angelo Capurro, Global Executive Director, MSC Cruises
• Lakshmi Durai, CEO, CruiseXplore
• Mohamed Saeed, Managing Director, Royal Caribbean Arabia
• Hans Rood, CEO, Transcend Cruises
• Ashok Kumar, Founder & Managing Director, Cruise Master Middle East
• Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure, dnata Travel
• Sarah Hedley Hymers, Editorial Director, Connecting Travel

Plans are already underway for the forum to grow into a two-day event in 2026, expected to draw more than 300 decision-makers from across the global cruise and travel ecosystem.

The timing of the forum launch reflects the Gulf’s rising profile in the sector. Dubai handled 187 cruise calls and nearly 282,000 passengers in 2024 at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal alone, and achieved in full recovery from the pandemic slowdown by the 2022/23 season.

Forecasts from Tourism Economics project the wider Middle East and Africa cruise market to grow at more than 8% annually from 2025 to 2030. 

Industry leaders note that the region’s connectivity, port facilities, and cultural offering make it increasingly attractive both as a destination and as a strategic base.

Clive Jacobs, who founded the Connections platform, said: “Connections Cruise Arabia marks the realisation of my long-held vision to connect the cruise industry with the Gulf’s extraordinary potential. I have always believed the region could play a defining role in the future of cruise – not just as a destination, but as a strategic hub.”