Malaysia signs MoUs with Emirates, Qatar Airways to boost Middle East tourism

Mohd Amirul Rizal and Orhan Abbas, senior vice president for Commercial Operations Far East at Emirates. signing the MoU between Tourism Malaysia and Emirates.

By DayakDaily Team

DUBAI, Sept 21: Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening tourism and aviation ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region through a series of strategic engagements in Dubai.

According to a media release, the engagements were led by Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia deputy secretary-general (tourism) Chua Choon Hwa during an official working visit to Dubai from Sept 13 to 17.

The visit focused on strengthening collaboration with airlines, travel agencies and key tourism industry stakeholders amid recent regional developments in the Middle East that have temporarily affected aviation and tourism activities.

Chua held high-level discussions with major airline partners including Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, 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 (Tourism365).

A key outcome of the visit was the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Emirates and Qatar Airways, with Tourism Malaysia director-general Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim participating in the signing ceremonies.

The agreements aim to strengthen cooperation in tourism promotion and joint marketing, with the objective of increasing tourist arrivals from the Middle East through improved air connectivity, wider market access, and new commercial opportunities.

The initiatives are aligned with the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign, which seeks to increase international visitor arrivals, including from the UAE, GCC, and wider Middle Eastern markets.

“Our priority is to build stronger and more practical partnerships that can directly support tourism growth. 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.

“Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as important international flight hubs, will also open up greater opportunities for Malaysia to reach and tap into markets in the African continent and Europe,” said Chua.

From January to June 2026, Malaysia recorded 30,257 visitors from the GCC region, highlighting the market’s potential in areas including family holidays, luxury travel, Muslim-friendly tourism, shopping, wellness, gastronomy, nature, and experiential travel.

Tourism Malaysia said Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings also align with the evolving preferences of GCC and Middle Eastern travellers seeking unique and value-for-money experiences, in line with the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 theme, ‘Surreal Experiences’.

The agency said the efforts reflected Malaysia’s commitment to making the Malaysia Truly Asia experience more accessible to travellers from the region.

Through the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign, Tourism Malaysia will continue leveraging partnerships and collaborative initiatives with industry players to support sustained growth in tourist arrivals from the UAE and GCC region. — DayakDaily