TThere is something wonderfully inspiring about doing premium cigar business, and imagining its future, in Dubai. Few cities embody movement so naturally: Asia meets Europe, Africa meets the Middle East, and centuries-old traditions coexist rather confidently with a city forever looking ahead. It is therefore a fitting stage for the World Cigar Show 2026, November 10–12, which returns bigger, more international and more ambitious than its inaugural edition, with more brands, growing attendance, a dedicated entrance and expanded space giving our industry an even stronger identity.
Some industry journeys begin in an exhibition hall. Dubai, fittingly, begins on the water.
In cooperation with The Leaf Master, on opening night Sea Smoke will gather the cigar community aboard a traditional Arabian dhow, moving along the Dubai Canal beneath that extraordinary skyline. There is something rather poetic about enjoying one of the world’s oldest artisanal luxuries aboard a vessel rooted in the region’s trading history while surrounded by one of the most futuristic cities on earth.
The following evening, again in cooperation with The Leaf Master, Desert Smoke exchanges glass towers for dunes: Arabian hospitality, dinner, music and cigars beneath the desert sky. I suspect it will be one of those occasions when business cards eventually disappear into pockets and conversations become considerably more interesting.
November 12 becomes more intimate. A luncheon cigar with PCA CEO Joshua Habursky, limited to a small group, will allow the GCC cigar community to engage with PCA leadership around the table rather than from a stage. Later, Amarati Cigars, managed by Vintage Cigars Group, will bring us to Dubai Harbour for a private yacht cigar evening overlooking the waterfront skyline.
These experiences matter because ours remains an unusually human business. Some of the relationships that eventually transform companies, markets or careers begin not in formal meetings, but over a cigar when nobody is watching the clock.
At the center of those three days, however, lies a serious conversation about where our industry is going.
The World Cigar Conference Dubai 2026, developed by the PCA and The Cigar Academy, takes place November 10 under the theme “Beyond Borders: Premium Cigars Across GCC, Middle East, Asia & Africa.” We wanted this year’s conference to be less about speaking at the industry and more about thinking together about it.
Following opening remarks from Joshua Habursky and a keynote on “Dubai, Luxury Trade & the Future of Global Cultural Commerce,” we begin with what must never be lost.
I will moderate “The Soul of the Handmade Cigar: Heritage, Luxury Identity & Global Cultural Relevance,” exploring craftsmanship, producing nations, family legacy and the delicate challenge of becoming more international without polishing away the traditions and imperfections that give handmade cigars their authenticity.
From there, “Asia & the New Luxury Consumer” examines prestige, collectability, gifting, rarity and how luxury psychology changes across markets. “The Middle East Luxury Model” turns to a region where cigars have become remarkably integrated into five-star hotels, private clubs, lounges and sophisticated hospitality ecosystems—an achievement from which the entire industry can learn.
Then “Africa Rising: Luxury Expansion, Hospitality Growth & First-mover Advantage” looks beyond easy clichés to markets from Morocco and Egypt to Nigeria, Kenya, Angola and South Africa, asking where genuine opportunity is emerging and where patience, infrastructure and local understanding must precede ambition.
Finally, I will moderate “The Next Global Era of Premium Cigars: Diplomacy, Luxury & International Expansion,” a subject particularly close to me: the cigar as an instrument of conversation, hospitality and human connection, and the challenge of innovating without surrendering the soul of the leaf. A closing keynote on “The Future of Cultural Luxury Industries in a Connected World” completes the journey, while an educational cigar pairing masterclass over lunch ensures that the senses participate alongside the intellect.
The exhibition surrounding all of this continues to grow, bringing together manufacturers, brands, retailers, importers, distributors and hospitality professionals from the GCC, Asia, Africa and beyond. For PCA members, the floor offers something beyond discovering new cigars: an opportunity to observe where cigar culture itself may be traveling next.
That combination is what makes Dubai compelling this year—commerce and culture, education and hospitality, serious conversation and unforgettable settings.
So for PCA members considering the journey, come not simply to attend another trade show.
Come curious.
Come to meet the people building cigar culture in places you may never have explored. Come prepared to share what America has learned, but equally prepared to listen. And somewhere between an exhibition hall, an Arabian dhow, a conference room and the stillness of the desert, perhaps we will all see this remarkable industry from a slightly different perspective.
Dubai awaits.
Register to attend here.
– Article contributed by Ricardo Carioni, Director of International Affairs & Education at the Premium Cigar Association (PCA).
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 3, 2026. To receive a copy of this magazine, you must be a current PCA member. Join or renew today.