The Leadership Summit
18 SEPTEMBER 2025
QUEEN ELIZABETH 2
DUBAI, UAE
About the summit
Connections Cruise Arabia 2025 is the Gulf’s first dedicated cruise summit, and will bring together 120 senior travel and cruise professionals to accelerate the region’s emergence as a global cruise hub.
Featuring expert panels, the summit offers vital intelligence on inbound and outbound opportunities, sales channels and regional growth potential.
Meet our thought leaders
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Mashhoor Baeshen
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
CRUISE SAUDI
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Mohamed Saeed
MANAGING DIRECTOR
ROYAL CARIBBEAN ARABIA
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John Bevan
CEO
DNATA TRAVEL
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Hans Rood
CEO
TRANSCEND CRUISES
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Andy Harmer
MANAGING DIRECTOR
CLIA
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Anna Gregori
VP OF BRAND, PR AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
CELESTYAL CRUISES
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Angelo Capurro
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MSC CRUISES
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Ashok Kumar
FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR
CRUISE MASTER MIDDLE EAST
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Lakshmi Durai
CEO
CRUISEXPLORE
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Hamza Mustafa
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
DP WORLD
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Kyp Charalambous
VICE PRESIDENT, SALES
ATLANTIS DUBAI
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Jyoti Panchmatia
GENERAL MANAGER, GULF REGION
TRAVCO / TUI CRUISES
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Meerah Ketait
HEAD OF RETAIL AND LEISURE
DNATA TRAVEL
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Dr Megan Clampitt
GLOBAL HEAD OF SCIENCE AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
PONANT
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Ghadah Marghalani
DIRECTOR OF BRANDING & COMMUNICATION
AROYA CRUISES
Event partners
With the Gulf positioned as a rising hub for cruise travel, now’s the time to be at the table.
Shape the future of cruise
Lead the next wave of cruise innovation
Be part of the conversations defining the next phase of cruise growth across the Gulf.
Delve into cruise’s transformation
Gain insight into the future of cruise with curated panels, closed-door sessions and strategic market discussions.
Connect with key leaders
Connect with the region’s most influential stakeholders, from global cruise brands to government leaders, ports and top-tier travel agents.
Unlock regional growth opportunities
Explore inbound and outbound opportunities for growth, homeporting and destination development across the region.
Access exclusive new industry intelligence
Be the first to access the Connecting Travel Cruise Insight Report – a comprehensive, data-led analysis of global cruise trends and the Gulf’s emerging role.
Ignite the future
Build strategic relationships ahead of Connections Cruise Arabia 2026, the region’s first full-scale B2B cruise forum.
Join the Summit
Delegate
Exclusively for senior travel professionals looking to grow their cruise knowledge, build new partnerships, and stay ahead in the industry. Spaces are limited.
Press & Media
We will welcome a limited number of top-tier media and trade press, so if you’re a journalist or editor seeking to discover the latest in cruise, apply to attend today.
Don’t just take our word for it
“The Gulf region is one of the most exciting and rapidly emerging regions for cruising. With its rich cultural heritage, world-class infrastructure, and strong appeal among international travellers, it has all the elements to become a leading global cruise hub. The ConnectionsCruise Arabia Leadership Summit is a key platform for bringing together industry leaders to harness this momentum and shape the cruise industry’s continued growth in the region.”
Angelo Capurro, Global Executive Director, MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys
“It is the region that creates a destination, not just a port or a city. It is equally important for ports and airports to work in parallel on infrastructure, while offering authenticity and diversity of experiences and activities (shorex) to attract and sustain the interest of cruise lines and guests . This event is important as the topics discussed are ones, we, as cruise providers constantly address and review to promote the overall growth of cruise tourism (both inbound and outbound), making it sustainable in the region.”