But where to go? For more and more families looking to escape the sweltering heat of the Persian Gulf–and the hostility and suspicion of the West–the answer is Malaysia. The combination of Malaysia’s abundant halal restaurants, visa-free policy for tourists from predominantly Islamic countries and aggressive tourism campaign in the Middle East has helped make it a favorite new destination for Islamic holidaymakers. According to the travel agency Emirates Holidays, Malaysia is the fourth most popular vacation spot for Middle Easterners–after Britain, Dubai and the Maldives. Just two years ago it ranked eighth. Industry analysts expect the number of Mideastern tourists there to top 250,000 this year, more than double last year’s 114,000 visitors. “It is fashionable in Saudi Arabia to go on holiday in Malaysia,” says 24-year-old Zohoor Al Harpi, on a second honeymoon from Medina with her husband, Abdurrachman. “We came here because we heard that it is a beautiful place and the people are friendly.”
Malaysian officials have certainly gone out of their way to present the country in such a light. Big Kuala Lumpur tour agencies, like Asia Overland Services Tours and Travel–which has seen the Mideastern market nearly overtake its European business–have bent over backward to accommodate the new tourists. Because Arab travelers tend to make last-minute vacation plans, the Asia Overland office now stays open until 1 a.m. Kuala Lumpur time–which is 8 p.m. in Dubai. Its officers have also added special air-freight services to take care of sending back the spoils of the Mideasterners’ big shopping sprees. “They are the new Japanese for us,” says Brenda Cox, director of sales for the Shangri-La hospitality group in Kuala Lumpur.
Last spring Cox and some colleagues made two whirlwind visits to the Middle East to drum up business at Kuala Lumpur’s Shangri-La Hotel for the crucial summer holidays. They sold the fact that prayer rugs are readily available from housekeeping. Rooms have arrow-shaped stickers pointing to Mecca. And along with the Bible, a copy of the Qur’an is put on bedside tables. This summer Arabic-language menus–as well as food tags at the buffets–will appear in the hotel’s restaurants, most of which will comply with Islamic food codes.
The increase of Muslim visitors has brought changes to Kuala Lumpur. Since most of them find Malaysian food either too sweet or too spicy, Middle Eastern food has become more popular. On the Jalan Bukit Bintang drag, Restaurant Tarbush, owned by Shereene Al Halabi, has become so popular with foreigners for its Lebanese food that she is opening another 100-seat eatery close by. During peak tourist months, waiting groups of black-clad women and their husbands flood the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.
Other businesses have tried to cash in on the boom. Thanks to the tourist influx, water pipes have become so popular that it is common to order “hookahs” with cakes–even at the local branch of Dome, a trendy international coffeehouse chain originally from Australia. At the posh Suria KLCC mall at the base of the Petronas Towers, Middle Easterners–known playfully as “ninjas” for the women’s black burqas and veils–are legendary for their shopping prowess. Many stores gear up for “Arab season.” Local fashion designer Ashley Wong put together his latest collection of $200 East-meets-West Indian-inspired linen shirts and trouser sets with the ninja market in mind. He says: “The fabric is more suited to their very hot climate, and the style looks good with a head scarf.”
Mideastern tourists never found such a warm welcome in the West. No wonder bookings to the United States have shown no signs of rebounding. Nawaf Al Otabi, 32, a computer programmer from Doha, Qatar, recently visited Malaysia with his wife, two daughters and son–their first trip as a family outside their home region. Says Al Otabi, “We have a saying in our culture: ‘If you don’t steal, you should not be afraid.’ I have nothing to hide, and maybe sometime in the future we would like to vacation in a Western country, but not right now. We will wait for the situation to change.” In the meantime, there’s plenty to do and see in Malaysia.
