Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Umrah Plus International Tourism Association has been established in Tashkent to support the development of pilgrimage tourism and attract foreign pilgrims to Uzbekistan.
Representatives of Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign embassies and the diplomatic corps, the tourism industry and international partners attended the event.
The new association will focus on combining Umrah pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia with visits to historical, cultural and religious sites in Uzbekistan. Its stated goals also include increasing the number of foreign pilgrims and promoting the country’s tourism potential in international markets.
As part of the program, Uzbekistan plans to attract pilgrims from Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries.
Routes are expected to be developed combining Umrah in Saudi Arabia with visits to historical and religious attractions in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara.
A roadmap for 2026–2027 has been approved to attract 100,000 pilgrims from Malaysia and Indonesia.
At the same time, efforts are planned to improve the quality of tourism services, expand air connectivity, strengthen cooperation with foreign tour operators and create new tourism products tailored to international market requirements.
Among the proposals is the launch of transit tourism routes from Kuala Lumpur to Saudi Arabia via Samarkand or Bukhara. Such routes are expected to combine Uzbekistan’s transport and logistics capabilities with its potential in pilgrimage tourism.
During the event, a memorandum of cooperation was also signed between the Project Office for Tourism Product Development under Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee and the Umrah Plus International Tourism Association.
The document provides for the implementation of joint projects, exchange of experience and further development of cooperation in pilgrimage tourism.
The mechanisms for implementing the Umrah Plus program are set out in Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 6 dated 9 January 2026. Under the resolution, tour operators attracting tourists from Malaysia and Indonesia under the program are eligible for a subsidy of US$100 per tourist through the end of 2026.
The association’s founders expect it to serve as a platform for coordinating international cooperation, expanding engagement with foreign tourism markets and promoting Uzbekistan as a pilgrimage tourism destination.
