MOTAC Collaborates with Airlines to Boost Direct Flights to Saudi Arabia

Kuala Lumpur: 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 noted a significant decline in corporate travel groups between the two countries, primarily due to limited flight options. Currently, only Saudia Airlines operates flights to Malaysia, with Malaysia Airlines’ capacity largely reserved for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tiong expressed intentions to work with these airlines to increase direct flight options for the leisure market. He also encouraged Al Ahram Travel and Tourism Company (ATTC) to liaise with these airlines to become their agent. This statement was made on Facebook after Tiong met with ATTC founder and CEO Adnan Omar Al-Abbas during his visit to Saudi Arabia. Adnan expressed a desire 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 also mentioned that MOTAC is encouraging local hospitality players to collaborate with Saudi agents to promote medical tourism. He noted that ATTC shares this vision and is keen on pursuing initiatives related to medical conferences and healthcare industry partnerships. Malaysia presents a more affordable option for ATTC, which sends Saudi students to attend English courses abroad. ATTC, a large-scale company with over 20 offices throughout Saudi Arabia, specializes in services such as ticketing, hotel reservations, visa assistance, corporate travel management, and event planning.

Additionally, Tiong revealed an agreement reached with Panda Supermarket, a major retail chain in the Middle East, via telephone conference, to promote Malaysian tourism in Saudi Arabia. He expressed optimism about the Saudi authorities sending a delegation to Malaysia for a familiarisation visit, which would pave the way for enhanced support and increased two-way tourist flows.

Earlier today, Capital A Bhd CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes announced plans to expand AirAsia’s routes into Saudi Arabia, including new routes to Riyadh and Dammam and more Kuala Lumpur-Jeddah flights. This marks a significant step in AirAsia’s Middle East growth strategy, with the new Riyadh route projected to serve nearly one million two-way passengers by 2026 and over seven million by 2030, reflecting strong demand for enhanced ASEAN-Gulf region connectivity.