KUALA LUMPUR: As of November last year, Malaysia welcomed 4.82 million Muslim visitors, with projected earnings surpassing RM15 billion.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in 2023, Malaysia attracted 4.5 million Muslim tourists, generating a total revenue of RM14.7 billion.

“The figures reflect more than 20 per cent of total involvement in the country’s tourism industry.

“It is undeniable that the market value of Islamic tourism has been steadily increasing and has shown impressive growth over the past 10 years.

“Additionally, Malaysia’s recognition as the leading Muslim-friendly travel destination by the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) further underscores the nation’s strength in this sector,” he said in his speech at the launching of IslamiCruise Malaysia-Saudia today.

Present were Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and IslamiCruise International founder Suhaimi Abd Ghafer.

Zahid said last year the five Muslim-majority countries contributing to Malaysia’s tourist arrivals were Indonesia, Brunei, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan.

“This reflects the significant potential Malaysia has to attract more tourists through strategic collaborations.”

Zahid said Malaysia has a well-developed Islamic tourism infrastructure and Muslim-friendly hospitality, including a range of hotels, restaurants, products and services that are certified halal or Muslim-friendly.

“Furthermore, confidence in Malaysia’s halal industry is also one of the key drivers of the Islamic tourism segment, with a variety of halal-certified food and beverages, food festivals and exciting culinary experiences on offer.

“This development is further supported by government initiatives that actively promote Islamic tourism, through agencies such as Tourism Malaysia, the Islamic Tourism Centre and the National Department of Culture and Arts.”

Zahid added according to market projections, the Muslim tourism sector is expected to grow by around 1.2 per cent annually, placing Malaysia in a strong position to capture a significant share of this market by 2028, with close collaboration from all parties involved.

“I commend the collaboration initiated between IslamiCruise International and Aroya Saudi, a Saudi Arabian government-owned cruise company, which will undoubtedly further boost the arrival of Muslim tourists to our country,” he said.

Zahid added that Visit Malaysia 2026 aimed to attract 35.6 million tourists and generate RM147. 1 billion in revenue.

“I have high hopes that IslamiCruise Malaysia-Saudia, which is expected to attract more than 70 per cent of international passengers, especially from the Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia, will also contribute significantly towards achieving this target.”

The Malaysia-Saudia cruise will see passengers stopping at four exciting destinations; Salalah in Oman, Male in the Maldives and Banda Aceh in Indonesia, during its journey between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

It has been designed as a unique and special halalan-toyyiban experience, a spiritual vacation filled with Muslim-friendly activities such as congregational prayers, and events, as well as entertainment activities on board, including live performances and recreational events.