JEDDAH, 14 September 2006 — Malaysia has received a record number of tourists from Saudi Arabia during the recent vacation season.
“We were happy to see more Saudi families visiting our country and spending a longer period of their vacation this time,” a Malaysia Tourism official said yesterday. In the first five months of 2006, Malaysia received 43,218 Saudi visitors, a 33 percent increased over the same period last year, he added.
In 2007, Malaysia is celebrating the golden anniversary of its independence. “This country will turn 50, and this milestone provides us with the opportunity to appreciate the journey that we have taken to build this nation,” a Malaysian Consulate General official said on the sidelines of the country’s 49th National Day at the Jeddah InterContinental on Sunday.
Muhammad A. Tayeb, director general, Foreign Ministry’s Office, Makkah Region, was the chief guest at the Independence Day celebration that was attended by the consuls general of some of the countries of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Tayeb and Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Information Zahid Hamidi and consul general were joined by some of the consuls general at the cake cutting ceremony.
The minister and the consul general in their speeches thanked the diplomats and other invitees for their presence and congratulated the government and citizens of the Kingdom for their National Day, which is scheduled on Sept. 23.
