KUALA LUMPUR,  AirAsia celebrates Malaysia’s 57th Merdeka with exclusive low fares to domestic and international destinations throughout the airline’s extensive route network. In a statement here today, it said all-in-fares for domestic destinations were from as low as RM37* one way such as from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, Johor Bahru, Kota Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. All-in-fares for international destinations …

LANGKAWI,Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad today expressed hope that more tourism products will be developed in Langkawi to lure more tourists to the legendary island. He said the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) in particular, should play a more proactive role to identify the island’s potential tourism products. “With the increase in the number of tourism products, it will …

KUALA LAMPUR The authorities must act to compel food outlets to display their halal or non-halal signs more prominently to protect Arab tourists ignorant of Malaysia’s cultural diversity, a Muslim consumer group said today. According to the Malaysian Muslim Consumers’ Association (PPIM), regulation is needed to stem further “loss of faith” from those tourists who perceive Malaysia as an Islamic …

A receptionist at the Prince Mohammad International Airport in Madinah has earned the gratitude of pilgrims for his act of honesty. He found an envelope containing SR2,500 which belonged to an Indian pilgrim who came to perform Haj. The receptionist followed the applicable procedures in such cases, and handed over the envelope with the money to the Lost and Found …

The first group of 455 Indonesian Haj pilgrims was received by Indonesian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia A.M. Fachir at King Abdulaziz International Airport on Monday afternoon. The pilgrims arrived aboard GA-1101 from Ujung Pandang. Fachir was accompanied by the deputy Haj Consul at the Indonesian Haj Affairs office, Hidayat Jujanih, and other officials from the Indonesian consulate. A second flight …

Numerous job opportunities open for Saudis every Haj season, but there are very few takers for them. Marwan Khashoggi, deputy general manager of Haj Bus Syndicate in Madinah, said Saudi young men have not registered for any of the available jobs at his office during this Haj season. Speaking to Arab News, Khashoggi said the office is currently seeking to …

The Haj Ministry website has started accepting applications from Saudis and expatriates who wanted to make use of the low-cost Haj scheme. More than 40,000 pilgrims are expected to benefit from the low-cost Haj scheme this year, said Abdul Hameed Al-Sinani, secretary general of the Coordination Council for Domestic Haj Service Firms. Speaking to Arab News, Al-Sinani said 53 companies …

Emirates Palace has welcomed the appointment of Leon Baum as its new hotel manager. He will be working closely with general manager Holger Schroth, who has been at Emirates Palace since 2013. Baum will be overseeing the daily operations at the iconic Abu Dhabi hotel, and will play an active role in implementing key strategies and new initiatives. “We are …

As a further demonstration of its commitment to expanding its footprint in Saudi Arabia, Qatar Airways will be launching an additional daily flight to Madinah from October 26th, 2014. The additional flight will increase the number of Qatar Airways’ weekly flights on the Doha – Madinah route from seven to 14 weekly services. Qatar Airways has been continuing its expansion …

The Culture Ministry in Bahrain is introducing a ban on alcohol in the country’s three-star hotels in an attempt to improve tourism in the country, it has been reported. According to Daily Tribune, the ministry issued a statement on Friday saying that the decision had been taken because the poor quality of rooms and clients services in the hotels was …