Malaysia has said it expects tourist arrivals from the Middle East to surge in the next three months after an agreement to increase the number of scheduled flights, reports said yesterday.

Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said he expected tourist figures to double after negotiations with several Middle Eastern airlines.

"I recently met the chief executive officers of Emirates Air and Qatar Air, and they promised to increase the number of flights to KL International Airport, especially in the next few months," he was quoted as saying in the Star daily.

"These airlines only fly once a week now. I have also spoken to Ittihad Airways, which is based in United Arab Emirates, (which has) agreed to fly in by year-end," he said.

Popular destination

Malaysia, drawing on its status as a Muslim majority country, has become a popular destination for Middle Eastern tourists in recent years. Some 148,000 visitors from the Middle East made their way to Malaysia in 2005.

The period between mid-July and mid-September is the peak season for Arab visitors because it coincides with the Middle Eastern school holidays and the region's hot summer months.

Tourism is Malaysia's second-largest foreign exchange earner. The country saw 16.4 million tourists in 2005 with receipts estimated at US$8.72 billion.