How the Middle East can become the next global cruise hub

MSC will return to the region for winter 2025/26 with MSC Euribia offering short and week-long Gulf cruises, while luxury brand Explora Journeys will launch regional itineraries in 2026.

 

Celestyal, meanwhile, confirmed it will homeport two ships in Abu Dhabi and Qatar for three years, following a debut season that exceeded expectations by 35%.

 

“Like MSC, we are firmly committed to the region, we know this is where it’s at,” said Anna Gregori, VP of Brand, PR and Customer Experience at Celestyal Cruises.

 

“We know we will have our winter season in the Arabian Gulf for the foreseeable future and our guests tell us overwhelmingly they love it. I am definitely flying the flag for this region.”

 

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More lines and stronger source markets

Despite these gains, Harmer explains that more cruise lines need to commit to the region to then “build up enough demand and interest to grow the customer base”.

Homeporting choices are complex. Deploying a ship in the Gulf requires confidence in consistent demand. 

 

Geopolitical tensions add further challenges, with vessels taking costly detours around southern Africa to avoid the Suez Canal corridor when repositioning for new seasons. 

 

Capurro highlighted MSC’s desire to extend deployments in the region, but said this hinges on “increasing the source market locally” through stronger demand and more varied itineraries across more destinations. 

Building the ecosystem

Connectivity and infrastructure play a vital role in supporting cruise growth. Dubai, in particular, has made strong investments in cruise facilities and airline partnerships over the last two decades, offering cruise passengers seamless connectivity.

 

“We’ve invested in the infrastructure to allow cruise passengers to drop their bags and get their security passes up to four hours before departure,” said Rehab Mansoor, Head of Leisure & Commercial Segments, Global Sales at Emirates. 

 

The Dubai-based airline, which integrates cruise into its strategy, collaborates with global lines to create tailored air-sea packages, and is targeting the 97% of travellers worldwide who have never cruised.

 

Saudi Arabia is making similar moves, though as a much newer tourism destination, with Cruise Saudi investing significantly to create 50,000 jobs and open 10 new Red Sea ports. 

 

“We are a new destination, so that requires a lot of collaboration,” Mashhoor Baeshen, Executive Director of Commercial & Business Development, Cruise Saudi, said. “We are training tour operators, connecting cruise lines with airlines and working to tailor the product to cruise requirements.” 

 

“Managing passenger flow and avoiding over-tourism through careful scheduling is a priority,” he added.

Security perceptions remain a barrier

Despite progress, security remains a sensitive issue, with misconceptions and wider regional conflicts creating barriers to cruising in the region. 

 

“The challenge is we rely on the cruise lines to make that communication,” said Baeshen. “It’s more about awareness and education. All countries are different – how do you distinguish communication on safety and security? This is part of the awareness campaign we need to work on together.”

 

The panel agreed that educating markets is also key to promoting Middle East itineraries as a series of diverse destinations, each with its own unique cultural highlights. This co-operation among destinations, cruise lines and travel agents will be central to growing awareness and attracting customers.

 

Industry stakeholders including Mashhoor Baeshen, Executive Director of Commercial & Business Development at Cruise Saudi

 

Balancing local and international tastes

The region’s diverse audience presents another challenge. For example, Dubai’s population is 90% expatriate from more than 200 countries, and it further attracts a diverse visitor profile, creating a complex mix of expectations.

 

Gregori said Celestyal “learned a lot” through its first Arabian Gulf season, observing that international guests are eager to explore destinations and enjoy authentic local experiences, while local guests “love to get onboard the ship”. 

 

This insight led the line to overhaul onboard experiences to ensure they are catering to both groups.

 

As for Saudi, Baeshen noted international visitors typically prioritise cultural and nature experiences, favouring heritage attractions such as Unesco sites, while regional guests prefer shorter, weekend-style cruises focused on strong onboard leisure offerings.

 

“Cruise is mainly a weekend getaway for local guests from Saudi and the region, so they look for a mix of onboard and leisure experiences rather than culture or nature.” 

 

For cruise operators, tailoring onboard offerings to this diverse demographic mix remains essential.

 

Clive Jacobs, CEO at Jacobs Media

 

Coming next 

In addition to panel discussions, the one-day summit unveiled the industry-first Cruise Insight Report, covering global trends, GCC market insights and actionable data from CLIA to help agents inspire the region’s affluent travellers.

 

Momentum from the event sets the stage for an expanded two-day Connections Cruise Arabia 2026, expected to attract more than 300 senior leaders from across the global cruise and travel ecosystem to further shape the Gulf’s cruise future.

 

The event and accompanying report were supported by Emirates, Atlantis Dubai, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and leading cruise lines including NCL, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea, Crystal, MSC, Celestyal and Ponant. 

 

For more information, visit connectionsluxury.com/cruise-arabia