KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — Tourism Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to continue strengthening tourism promotional efforts in Saudi Arabia, renewing a strategic move to elevate promotional efforts with Saudi industry players in response to the impact of the current geopolitical crisis in West Asia.
Director of Tourism Malaysia Jeddah Zaidi Kassim highlighted the move during Tourism Malaysia’s second industry networking event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, recently, which marked an important milestone in expanding Malaysia’s presence in the country during Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 (VM2026–2027).
Saudi Arabia remains an important market for Malaysia's tourism, characterised by highyield, family-oriented segments, therefore contributing to consistently encouraging visitor arrivals, he added.
"From January to June 2026, Malaysia recorded 17,302 visitors from Saudi Arabia.
“This reflects Saudi Arabia’s significance as a key long-haul market with strong long-term potential for Malaysia," he said in a statement here today.
The event, which followed a successful industry engagement in Jeddah in July, was attended by the Ambassador of Malaysia to Saudi Arabia Datuk Syed Mohamad Bakri Syed Abdul Rahman, alongside over 80 strategic partners from travel trade and media organisations in Riyadh, such as Gulf Air, Saudia and Almosafer.
Zaidi said the combination of direct air connectivity by major airlines, close bilateral relations between the two countries, and increasing interest in international travel creates a solid foundation for future growth.
He added Tourism Malaysia is committed to working closely with strategic partners in Saudi Arabia to build destination awareness and branding, broaden industry partnerships, and encourage more Saudi travellers to choose Malaysia as the preferred destination for both leisure and business travel.
"As one of the world’s leading Muslim-friendly destinations, Malaysia offers a safe and comfortable holiday experience for travellers from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, supported by extensive halal facilities, Islamic heritage, value-for-money holiday packages, luxury shopping malls and diverse ecotourism attractions,” he said.
He said Tourism Malaysia would continue to strengthen collaboration with international airline and travel trade partners to expand global connectivity and unlock new tourism market segments.
Zaidi also urged tourism trade partners and airlines in Saudi Arabia to leverage the networking platform to foster deeper commercial ties and explore new business opportunities, while giving an assurance that Tourism Malaysia Jeddah is ready to drive and support the growth of the tourism sector between the two countries.
