Travel Weekly parent launches first cruise summit for Gulf region

Travel Weekly parent company Jacobs Media is to host the Gulf region’s first B2B cruise summit in March 2026.

Connections Cruise Arabia will be a two-day event and will bring together more than 300 senior leaders covering cruise lines, ports, travel trade, DMCs, investors and government bodies.

The summit, which will become an annual event, will include scheduled meetings, panel sessions and a ‘New to Cruise’ training platform.

Jacobs Media expanded its presence into the Gulf region with the launch of its Connecting Travel brand in 2021. Its international events brand Connections was founded in 2014 and has a global travel community with a combined spending power of $7.8 billion.

Chairman and founder Clive Jacobs said: “Connections Cruise Arabia is a powerful extension of the Connections portfolio, which has driven progress in the travel industry over the last 10 years through the ‘Connections Way’ – a pioneering event format of forging meaningful business relationships through shared experiences.

“There has been significant investment in the region as a future hub for the burgeoning global cruise industry, and we are delighted to support and drive these ambitious plans.”

He added: “Connections Cruise Arabia will be more than an annual event; it will serve as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration and leadership for the cruise sector in the Gulf and beyond.”

The Gulf region is currently a focal point for cruise deployment and investment, with a number of lines expanding their presence and destinations targeting the sector for growth.