There are moments when the global travel industry quietly shifts gears, and then there are moments when it hits the afterburners. Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 looks set to deliver the latter, with the Middle East’s aviation and cruise sectors stepping firmly into the spotlight as the region doubles down on its ambition to remain the world’s most connected travel hub.
Returning to the Dubai World Trade Centre from 4–7 May, ATM will arrive at a time when confidence across the Gulf’s travel ecosystem is not just returning, it’s accelerating. According to the latest ATM Travel Trends Report, produced with Tourism Economics, air passenger demand across the Middle East is forecast to climb 23 per cent between 2025 and 2030. That’s not incremental growth. That’s structural.
Much of the momentum stems from a combination of deep-pocketed national tourism strategies, record-breaking airport performance and, perhaps most tellingly, a seemingly endless appetite for aircraft orders. The region’s big four carriers, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Saudia, have collectively placed nearly 780 aircraft orders with Boeing and Airbus. That level of commitment signals long-term confidence in global travel demand, not just regional optimism.
The numbers speak loudly. Middle Eastern airlines now account for 12 per cent of all unfilled aircraft orders globally, with GCC carriers responsible for an overwhelming 93 per cent of those commitments. In plain terms: the region isn’t waiting for the future of aviation, it’s building it.
That ambition is reflected in sheer connectivity. Qatar Airways now links more than 170 destinations worldwide, while Etihad Airways is set to operate a fleet of more than 110 aircraft by the end of 2025, serving more than 90 destinations. Emirates continues its familiar global sweep across 140 cities spanning Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and beyond, while Saudia maintains direct services to more than 90 international destinations.
Together, they form what industry insiders increasingly describe as aviation’s ultimate super-connector, a network that stitches together markets across six continents with an efficiency few regions can rival.
Yet the story doesn’t end with legacy giants. New players are reshaping the landscape with equal intent. Dubai-based luxury carrier Beond is eyeing Bahrain as a new base, reinforcing the kingdom’s emerging appeal among high-yield travellers. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s AirAsia X has flagged Bahrain as a strategic bridge between Asia and Europe, a move that could reshape traffic flows and tourism dynamics across the region.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME at Arabian Travel Market, captures the mood succinctly:
“Middle Eastern carriers connect hundreds of destinations across six continents, firmly establishing the region as one of the most strategically connected aviation hubs in the world. This unmatched connectivity is accelerating inbound and outbound tourism growth, strengthening global trade corridors, advancing business events, and deepening cultural exchange between markets.
“At ATM 2026, we will showcase the full scale of this global network, providing the space where aviation leaders can shape the next phase of fleet expansion, smart mobility and sustainable growth as we look ahead to the next era of travel.”
If aviation forms one pillar of the ATM conversation, cruising is shaping up as the other. And here too, the trajectory is firmly northbound. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) expects global passenger volumes to surpass 42 million by 2028, up from 34.6 million in 2024, a recovery curve that has quietly morphed into full-blown expansion.
The Middle East is increasingly part of that story. The region was forecast to welcome more than two million cruise passengers in 2025, supported by over 300,000 port visits across hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Aqaba and Salalah. The Red Sea alone is emerging as a breakout performer, expected to draw roughly half a million passengers, with Jeddah leading the charge.
What’s perhaps more intriguing is the psychology behind the numbers. Tourism Economics research suggests that travellers interested in the Middle East are almost twice as likely to consider a cruise as those looking at other regions, a telling signal of latent demand waiting to be unlocked.
Curtis believes the cruise opportunity is only just beginning.
“With new cruise lines launching in Saudi Arabia and expanded Red Sea and Arabian Gulf itineraries, the region is strengthening its position on the global cruise map. ATM 2026 will provide a platform for cruise leaders and destination stakeholders to collaborate on sustainable growth strategies,” she said.
That collaboration will play out across ATM’s conference stages. Sessions like Aviation Predictions 2030: Networks, Fleet Futures & the Future of Mobility promise a forward-looking examination of fleet evolution and next-generation connectivity. Elsewhere, discussions will explore themes such as inflation pressures, geopolitical uncertainty and the emerging Asia–GCC travel corridor.
On the Future Stage, attention will turn to passenger experience from automated aviation and biometrics to flexible booking models and the growing role of AI in shaping the journey from booking to boarding.
Exhibitor line-ups already underscore ATM’s global pull. Aviation heavyweights such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, flydubai, flynas, dnata and Icelandair will anchor the show floor, while cruise representation includes Cruise Saudi, MSC Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Oceanwide Expeditions, a roll call that reads more like a world atlas than a trade show directory.
By the time doors open in May, organisers expect more than 55,000 travel professionals and over 2,800 exhibiting companies from 166 countries to descend on Dubai. The overarching theme, Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology, hints at an event less focused on recovery and more on reinvention.
For an industry that thrives on momentum, ATM 2026 feels like a bellwether moment. The Middle East isn’t merely participating in global travel’s next chapter; it’s drafting significant portions of the script.
More information and registration details are available via the official Arabian Travel Market website:
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html.
by Yves Thomas – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 6 minutes.
About the Writer.
There’s a quiet pull about Yves Thomas, the kind you only notice after a moment. It comes from having lived travel from both sides of the reception desk. A graduate of Bangkok University International, she stepped straight into Thailand’s tourism industry, learning early how much care goes into making someone else’s holiday feel effortless.
She worked with some of the country’s best destination management teams, polishing the details most travellers never see but always remember. Eventually, the road began calling louder than meetings and schedules. Yves packed a bag and went looking again, trading conference calls for compass points.
Somewhere between Chiang Mai and Copenhagen, she started writing it down. Those reflections became a blog, warm and observant.
Now based in Hua Hin and writing for Global Travel Media, Yves shares travel not as a publicist, but as a traveller, attentive, thoughtful, and deeply human.
