MalayMail/Bernama-Oct 4
Malaysia and Saudi Arabia have engaged in talks about positioning Malaysia as a preferred transit hub for umrah pilgrims, travelling to Saudi Arabia via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The matter was raised during a meeting between Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) secretary-general Datuk Roslan Tan Sri Abdul Rahman and Saudi Tourism Authority chief executive officer Fahd Hamidaddin, on the sidelines of the annual World Tourism Day (WTD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, recently. Motac, in a statement, said that the meeting discussed potential areas of cooperation between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia for mutual benefit, particularly with regard to the government’s effort to position Malaysia as a preferred transit hub for umrah pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia via KLIA. On July 18, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, reportedly said that Motac was confident that the initiative, in making Malaysia the regional hub for the umrah pilgrimage, can drive and boost the country’s tourism industry. Tiong also said that Malaysia could offer Muslim-friendly tourism packages to pilgrims, which can indirectly increase the country’s income and introduce Malaysia as a global Muslim travel destination. Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/10/04/motac-kl-riyadh-in-talks-to-make-malaysia-preferred-transit-hub-for-umrah-pilgrims/94444
