Malaysia taps Gulf air links to grow Middle East tourism

Malaysia sought cooperation with Middle Eastern airlines like Gulf Air to grow its tourist arrivals. — Unsplash pic

First Published: Tuesday, 22 Sep 2026 8:53 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 — Malaysia is strengthening air connectivity and tourism cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to boost tourist arrivals from the Middle East.

The effort was highlighted during an official working visit by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture deputy secretary-general (Tourism) Chua Choon Hwa to Dubai from Sept 13 to 17, where he held discussions with airlines, travel agencies and tourism industry players.

According to Tourism Malaysia’s statement today, among the key outcomes were the signing of Memorandums of Understanding between Tourism Malaysia with Emirates and Qatar Airways to strengthen tourism promotion and joint marketing efforts.

Also present was Tourism Malaysia director-general Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim.

During the visit, Chua also met representatives of other airline partners, including Air Arabia, Gulf Air and Etihad Airways, as well as travel agencies and tourism industry players such as Emirates Holidays, Sharaf Travel, Al Rais Travel and Capital Travel.

The engagements also addressed recent changes and the regional situation in the Middle East, which have temporarily affected aviation and tourism activities in the region.

“Air connectivity is fundamental to this effort. By working closely with leading airlines and travel industry partners, we will make Malaysia more accessible to travellers from the UAE, GCC, and the wider Middle Eastern market,” he said.

Additionally, he said Dubai and Abu Dhabi are important international flight hubs, which could also provide greater opportunities for Malaysia to reach markets in Africa and Europe.

According to Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia has welcomed 30,257 visitors from the GCC region from January to June this year, reflecting the market’s potential in family holidays, luxury travel, Muslim-friendly tourism, shopping, wellness, gastronomy, nature and experiential travel.

The initiatives are also in line with the Visit Malaysia 2026-2027 campaign, which aims to increase international visitor arrivals, including from the UAE, GCC and wider Middle Eastern markets.

“Tourism Malaysia will continue to leverage partnership and collaborative initiatives with industry alliances to drive sustained growth from the UAE and GCC region,” the statement read. — Bernama