Speakers confirmed for Connections Cruise Arabia 2025

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A lineup of high-profile cruise industry speakers has been confirmed for the Gulf’s first dedicated cruise leadership summit, taking place onboard the QE2 in Dubai on 18 September 2025.

Connections Cruise Arabia will gather 120 senior cruise and travel leaders for a one-day Leadership Summit packed with strategic panels and closed-door talks aimed at boosting the Gulf’s emergence as a global cruise hub.

The expert panels will offer valuable insights on both inbound and outbound opportunities, identify regional growth potential and support sales channels.

Taking to the stage, the speaker lineup includes international cruise leaders and regional pioneers including Chairman and Founder of Jacobs Media Clive Jacobs, dnata CEO John Bevan, CLIA UK & Ireland Managing Director Andy Harmer, and DP World COO Hamza Mustafa, alongside representatives from the industry’s leading cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Celestyal and MSC Cruises.

In an industry-first, the summit will also unveil the first edition of the Connections Cruise Arabia Report, charting global cruise trends and providing market analysis. Data insights will come from CLIA, the world’s largest cruise industry trade association.

Like the event, the report will explore both inbound and outbound market potential, highlighting the region’s cultural richness, connectivity and world-class infrastructure. It will also contain a frontline seller’s guide to help agents to understand the available products and opportunities.

The event has the backing of industry-leading partners, including Emirates and dnata, alongside cruise line sponsors NCL, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea and Crystal.

Looking to 2026, Connections Cruise Arabia will expand to a two-day event, welcoming more than 300 senior leaders from across the global cruise and travel ecosystem to shape long-term growth in the Gulf.

Jacobs 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.”

With the Middle East and Africa cruise market projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.1% from 2025 to 2030, and Dubai already breaking records with 187 cruise calls and 281,775 passengers handled in 2024, the timing of this inaugural summit underlines the Gulf’s rising position on the world cruise map.

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The Connections Cruise Arabia 2025 speakers:

Clive Jacobs, Chairman and Founder of Jacobs Media

Media mogul and cruise industry pioneer Jacobs founded the publishing and events company that has become the global voice of the travel and hospitality sectors, with rapid expansion currently happening in the Middle East.

John Bevan, CEO of Dubai National Air Travel Agency (dnata)

As CEO of dnata Travel, the UAE’s longest serving travel provider and part of the Emirates Group, Bevan is responsible for a portfolio of 30 travel brands across leisure, travel trade, travel technology, corporate travel and destination management sectors, in more than 20 countries.

Andy Harmer, Managing Director, CLIA UK & Ireland
Harmer has spent more than a decade driving cruise growth with CLIA, the industry’s global trade association, uniting trade, destinations and partners across Europe while advancing industry policy and expertise.

Hamza Mustafa, COO, Port Rashid & P&O Marinas at DP World
With two decades in Dubai’s tourism and real estate sectors, Mustafa oversees the world-class marinas and cruise terminals that anchor Dubai’s cruise growth.

Anna Gregori, VP Brand, PR & Customer Experience, Celestyal Cruises
With a background in global aviation, including nearly a decade at Virgin Atlantic, Gregori is now shaping the Celestyal brand and guest experience for its next phase of expansion, which includes itineraries in the Arabian Gulf.

Angelo Capurro, Global Executive Director, MSC Cruises
With nearly 24 years in the industry, Capurro has expertise in developing new markets, shaping strategy and leading projects focused on digital channels, marketing and communication. He steers MSC Cruises’ global sales across 50 markets, including a fast-growing Middle East presence.

Lakshmi Durai, CEO, CruiseXplore
Widely recognised as a driving force in developing the Middle East cruise industry with 30 years’ expertise, Durai leads CruiseXplore, a multi-award-winning specialist representing more than 30 global cruise brands

Mohamed Saeed, Managing Director, Royal Caribbean Arabia

After more than a decade driving growth in the region, Saeed’s expertise has been pivotal in steering significant growth and securing Royal Caribbean’s position as a market leader, receiving awards including ‘Middle East’s Leading Cruise Line’ in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

Hans Rood, CEO, Transcend Cruises

In a distinguished 30-year career with RCCL, Cunard, HAL, Hurtigruten and Medov Cruise Line logistics, Rood has been the driving force behind major operations, sales and marketing initiatives with a solid reputation for spearheading growth and building stakeholder value. He’s now reshaping river cruising through innovation and brand partnerships.

Ashok Kumar, Founder & Managing Director, Cruise Master Middle East
With more than 45 years in travel and tourism and as a pioneer of regional cruise sales, Kumar heads the Middle East’s only dedicated B2B cruise agency, representing leading global brands while delivering operational and marketing support across the industry.

Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure, dnata Travel

As Head of Retail and Leisure UAE for dnata Travel, Meerah spearheads a team of travel experts who work around the world to deliver tailor-made packages for UAE travellers after working with the Emirates Group for more than a decade, supporting Emirates Airline in a series of product management roles.

Sarah Hedley Hymers, Editorial Director, Connecting Travel

Hymers is a British broadcast journalist, editor and author, specialising in travel and hospitality. As Editorial Director of Connecting Travel, the Middle East’s leading travel trade publication, she reports on all the latest cruise industry news impacting the region.

More information is available at connectionscruise.com