Malaysia will grant extended visas on arrival to visitors from Iran, Iraq and Syria in an effort to attract tourists from those countries, the deputy prime minister said today.

Iranian visitors will be eligible to stay up to three months from the current 15 days, while those from Iraq and Syria, as well as Palestinians, could stay one month instead of two weeks, Najib Razak said.

"This is part of our effort to promote the West Asia market and we find there is a lot of interest," he said.

Malaysia, a majority Muslim nation, has become a popular destination for Middle Eastern tourists in recent years.

The country has declared this to be Visit Malaysia Year 2007 as it celebrates 50 years of nationhood.

It is hoping to receive 20.1 million tourists from around the world this year, up from 17.55 million last year, Najib said.