CruiseXplore Middle East convenes 80 travel trade professionals for workshop

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UAE travel trade professionals gather for CruiseXplore event

CruiseXplore Middle East recently brought together 80 travel professionals from across the region for its annual workshop in Dubai, aimed at strengthening industry knowledge and fostering deeper engagement within the cruise sector.

The 2025 Cruise Workshop provided a collaborative environment for travel agents and industry partners to expand their understanding of the sector, strengthen partnerships and explore emerging opportunities in expedition and cultural cruising.

The event highlighted a diverse range of cruise products, from premium ocean and ultra-luxury voyages to regional and expedition sailings, reflecting the sector’s expanding appeal among Middle East travellers.

CruiseXplore event included workshops and networking

Participating cruise lines included Aroya Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Quark Expeditions and Swan Hellenic, each sharing product insights, destination updates and selling strategies tailored to the regional market.

Aroya Cruises’ Team Leader for International Markets, Ibrahim Husainoun, led a workshop showcasing the line’s ’Remarkably Arabian’ experiences, stating that the CruiseXplore event helps to drive “great exposure to the horizons of the cruise industry within our region.”

Following this, Royal Caribbean Arabia Managing Director, Mohamed Saeed, presented Celebrity Cruises’ brand vision, including the upcoming debut of Celebrity Xcel in Europe in 2026 and new river cruise offerings planned for 2027.

CruiseXplore Middle East CEO Lakshmi Durai with travel trade

Among other highlights, interactive sessions such as the Cruise Quiz kept the atmosphere lively, encouraging collaboration and rewarding participation with prizes, including shopping vouchers and a complimentary cruise experience.

CruiseXplore Middle East CEO Lakshmi Durai described the event as both energised and inspiring. “The atmosphere was electric, filled with insightful discussions, dynamic networking and a real enthusiasm for learning.

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Introducing the 2025 Cruise Insight Report

“We are deeply grateful to our partner cruise lines and our media partners for their unwavering commitment and support to our mission of educating and empowering the travel trade. A special thank you goes out to every travel professional whose active participation made this workshop a tremendous success.”

Reflecting the strong momentum carried by events such as these, cruising continues to gain ground in the Middle East, both as an outbound travel choice and as an inbound tourism driver.

Members of the travel trade in the UAE

Demand remains particularly high among family groups and luxury independent travellers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, drawn to immersive and high-service cruise experiences.

More cruise lines are adding Middle East ports to their itineraries as cruise tourism in the region is on the rise and set to be further accelerated by Connections Cruise Arabia. The game-changing annual event, launched in September 2025, will bring together 300 senior cruise leaders and stakeholders in September 2026 to shape the future of the sector in the region.

For more information, visit www.CruiseXplore.com