OYO plans to open more Shariah-compliant hotels in Malaysia in line with the government’s Muslim-Friendly Hospitality Assurance (MFAR) program.

The global hotel technology company will open 50 such hotels nationwide this year and aims to open 200 Muslim-friendly hotels by 2028.

OYO recently opened its first Syariah hotel in Sepang to kickstart the programme. Most of these hotels will be located in states such as Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis.

Initiated by the Islamic Tourism Centre, the MFAR programme works towards establishing Malaysia as a regional ‘Umrah hub’. The aim is to provide welcoming and culturally sensitive accommodation options to Muslim travellers, thereby contributing to the growth of Islamic tourism in Malaysia.

OYO’s Shariah-compliant hotels adhere to Islamic principles and ensure that facilities and services within the premises comply with religious laws.

Akshay Rathod, country head of OYO Malaysia, said the Syariah hotels here reaffirmed the company’s commitment to collaborate with the government on its key initiatives to promote tourism.

“OYO works closely with hotel partners to implement and maintain Shariah principles in certain hotels. We have already launched a similar program in Indonesia and will use these valuable learnings to improve and refine our offering in Malaysia,” Akshay added.

The Malaysian government actively promotes Islamic tourism as part of its comprehensive tourism development strategy. It promotes Islamic landmarks and cultural heritage sites such as Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in Shah Alam, Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and Kapitan Keling Mosque in Penang.

Malaysia expects more than 1.5 million Muslim tourists in 2024 after easing visa requirements for tourists from India and China. The country is also preparing for the “Year of Visiting Malaysia” in 2026.

According to the World Islamic Economy Situation Report 2019, the value of Muslim-friendly travel was estimated at $189 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $274 billion by 2024.

Malaysia’s leadership in catering to Muslim travelers was reaffirmed in 2023 when it secured the top spot in the Global Muslim Travel Index for the eighth consecutive year.

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