MOTAC ENGAGING WITH AIRLINES TO INCREASE DIRECT FLIGHTS TO SAUDI ARABIA

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) is engaging with Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Batik Air to explore the reinstatement of direct flights between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said there had been a significant decline in corporate travel groups between the two countries, primarily due to limited flight options.

“Presently, with only Saudia (Airlines) operating flights to Malaysia and Malaysia Airlines' capacity largely allocated for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, there has been a significant decline in corporate travel groups.

“I will be engaging with these three airlines to increase direct flight options for the leisure market. I also encourage ATTC (Al Ahram Travel and Tourism Company) to liaise with these airlines to become their agent,” he said in a Facebook post after meeting ATTC founder and chief executive officer Adnan Omar Al-Abbas, during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

He said during the meeting, Adnan expressed hope for deeper business collaboration with Malaysia, including establishing direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Kuala Lumpur and possibly onward connections to Singapore or Australia.

Tiong said MOTAC continued to encourage local hospitality players to collaborate with Saudi agents to promote medical tourism.

“It is heartening to note that, ATTC shares this vision and is keen to pursue further initiatives related to medical conferences and healthcare industry partnerships, something we very much welcome,” he said, adding that Malaysia presents as a more affordable option for ATTC, which sends Saudi students to attend English courses abroad. 

With over 20 offices throughout Saudi Arabia, ATTC is a large-scale company specialising in services such as ticketing, hotel reservations, visa assistance, corporate travel management and event planning.

Meanwhile, Tiong also revealed an agreement reached via telephone conference with Panda Supermarket, one of the largest retail chains in the Middle East, to promote Malaysian tourism in Saudi Arabia.

“This was equally encouraging. Looking ahead, I eagerly anticipate the Saudi authorities sending a delegation to Malaysia for a familiarisation visit, paving the way for us to deepen support and boost two-way tourist flows,” he added.

Earlier today, Capital A Bhd chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes announced plans to expand into Saudi Arabia, with new AirAsia routes to Riyadh and Dammam and more Kuala Lumpur-Jeddah flights, marking a key step in its Middle East growth strategy.

He said the new Riyadh route was projected to serve nearly one million two-way passengers by 2026 and more than seven million by 2030, reflecting strong demand for enhanced ASEAN-Gulf region connectivity.

-- BERNAMA