With a 23.7% year-on-year increase in Saudi visitor arrivals in 2024, Malaysia is intensifying its focus on this lucrative market, exploring expanded flight options and tailored tourism offerings.
Malaysia is making significant strides to grow tourist arrivals from Saudi Arabia, its highest-spending source market. In 2024, the country saw a remarkable 23.7% year-on-year increase in Saudi visitors, reaching 68,382 arrivals.
To support this growing demand and improve access, Malaysia’s minister of tourism, arts and culture, Tiong King Sing, revealed that the ministry is in discussions with airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, and Batik Air to explore the reinstatement or expansion of direct flights to Saudi Arabia. Currently, there are 41 weekly flights from Jeddah and Madinah to Kuala Lumpur, but Tiong noted that limited flight availability, particularly for corporate travel, has been a constraint.
Tiong shared that Saudia is the only airline operating regular commercial services to Malaysia, while Malaysia Airlines mainly serves Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. To address this, the ministry recently led a delegation of tourism representatives to the Arabian Travel Market in the UAE, followed by a sales mission to Riyadh and Jeddah to promote Visit Malaysia 2026 and Malaysia Culture Week 2025, strengthening the country’s presence in the Saudi travel market.
Arokia Das Anthony, executive director of The Essence of Asia Tours & Travel, noted that improved air connectivity between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia could also benefit travellers from neighbouring countries by offering connections via Saudia to Kuala Lumpur. He also observed a shift in travel preferences, with more Middle Eastern travellers – particularly from Saudi Arabia – now choosing flexible, independent travel over traditional full-board packages.
“Many now book only accommodation and airport transfers through us, and choose from a list of tours based on their interests. This trend reflects a growing preference for personalised travel experiences,” Anthony shared.
