JEDDAH, 29 May — The Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) once again participated in the recently held Gulf 2001 Travel & Tourism Exhibition here. Shamshul Muhammad Hassan Al Yafie, tourism attaché at the Consulate General of Malaysia, told Arab News: “Aside from the purpose of creating awareness among  Saudis and other Arabs about our country as a potentially rich tourist destination,  we focused on the increasing trend of arrivals from the Kingdom and elsewhere in the Middle East.” According to him, arrival figures show an  increase of 140.5 percent compared to those in 1999. Visitors included 27,808 Saudi tourists, he added. Malaysia Airlines, C.S. Holidays, Global Holidays and Asian Overland Services participated in the Gulf 2001 under the MTPB banner. “Saudis have been showing increasing interest in Malaysia and this has encouraged MTPB to provide Arabic speaking staff at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport,” Al Yafie added.