Global hospitality technology company OYO has announced that it will add 200 Syariah-compliant hotels in Malaysia over the next four years. It plans to add another 50 such hotels across the country in 2024. OYO recently launched its first Syariah hotel in Sepang to kickstart the program. Most of these hotels will be in cities such as Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah & Perlis.

The initiative is aligned with government’s Muslim Friendly Hospitality Assurance (MFAR) program initiated by Islamic Tourism Center, which is working towards establishing Malaysia as a regional ‘Umrah Hub'. This initiative aims to provide a welcoming and culturally sensitive accommodation option for Muslim travelers, contributing to the growth of the Islamic tourism in Malaysia. OYO's Syariah-compliant hotels will adhere to Islamic principles, ensuring that facilities and services that comply with Syariah law such as separate spaces for men and women to offer prayer within the premises. Some other features include Qibla direction and prayer mats in guest rooms.

The Malaysian government has been actively promoting Islamic tourism as part of its broader strategy to boost tourism. It is promoting Islamic attractions and heritage sites such as The Blue Mosque (Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah) in Shah Alam, Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) in Kuala Lumpur and Islamic Museum and Kapitan Keling Mosque in Penang to cater to the growing number of Muslim tourists in Malaysia. Malaysia is expecting more than 1.5 million Muslim tourists in 2024 after easing visa policies for tourists from India and China.

Speaking on the initiative, Akshay Rathod, Country Head, OYO Malaysia said “Syariah hotels reaffirm our commitment to partner with the government in its key tourism promotion initiatives in Malaysia. OYO is collaborating closely with hotel partners to implement and uphold Syariah principles in designated properties. We have already launched a similar program in Indonesia and leverage those valuable insights to enhance and refine our offerings in Malaysia”.

According to the World Islamic Economy Situation Report 2019, the value of Muslim-friendly travel was estimated at US$189 billion in 2018 and is estimated to reach US$274 billion by 2024. Malaysia's consistent excellence in catering to Muslim travelers was affirmed once again in 2023 when it secured the top spot in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) for the eighth consecutive year.