Malaysia and Saudi Arabia are working together to revive the tourism and culture industry through a number of initiatives.

Among the efforts considered, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac), was the sharing of knowledge on regulations and best practices, notably on steps to help the tourism industry recover from the effects of Covid-19.

The ministry also stated that there will be joint promotion of tourism programs via social media and digital platforms in order to increase travel demand for both countries, as well as the sharing of information and best practices in the sustainable management of cultural heritage sites as tourist attractions.

Among the activities, according to Motac, are close collaborations with arts, heritage, and cultural organizations, as well as promotion of Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT).

“These conversations are likely to open up more tourism potential between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia in particular, as well as other Middle Eastern nations in general,” Motac said in a statement.

The proposals were reviewed in a virtual meeting between Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and Saudi Arabian Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, which was also attended by Motac Secretary-General Datuk Dr Noor Zari Hamat.

Saudi Arabia discussed its experience administering rural tourism programs at the meeting, while Malaysia identified many new tourism goods, including yet-to-be-discovered "hidden jewels" that will be introduced to the globe.

Saudi Arabia accounted for 121,444 persons out of a total of 26.1 million tourist arrivals in Malaysia in 2019, according to Motac.