The 'Umrah+' program links trips of visitors from Malaysia to Mecca and Medina with visits to the Imam Bukhari complex in Samarkand. According to data, 10.5 thousand tourists arrived in Uzbekistan from Malaysia between January and August of this year, compared to 5.3 thousand people during the same period last year.
According to the embassy, the historical cities of Uzbekistan, particularly Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, have traditionally been major centers of Islamic culture and science. This heritage attracts Muslim tourists from various countries around the world, including Malaysia.
The growth in tourist flow is also supported by a simplified 30-day visa regime for citizens of both countries, as well as an increase in the number of flights.
Uzbekistan is expanding infrastructure for Muslim travelers: new prayer halls, halal hotels, and restaurants are being created. In March, the renovated Imam Bukhari attraction was opened, capable of accommodating up to 65 thousand visitors per day.
Uzbekistan and Malaysia reached an agreement on tourism development and increasing mutual tourist flow in 2025. It is also planned that visitors traveling to Mecca and Medina under the 'Umrah Plus' program will also visit Uzbekistan.
Simultaneously, the number of trips from Uzbekistan to Malaysia has also increased. In the first half of 2026, over 16 thousand Uzbeks traveled to Malaysia, which is 62 percent more than last year.
