Malaysia's IslamiCruise, which was being launched as Asia’s first luxury Umrah cruise programme, in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Aroya Cruises, is facing scheduling problems. The inaugural January–February 2026 voyage has been rescheduled as organisers revise routes and packages.

The 15-day, fully halal-certified cruise was officially introduced as part of Malaysia’s halal tourism push and recognised as a Visit Malaysia 2026 product. Departing from Port Klang, the one-way journey is designed to take pilgrims to Jeddah via Banda Aceh, Oman and the Maldives, before passengers complete their Umrah pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

IslamiCruise International announced on November 19, 2025, that sales had been temporarily suspended due to internal assessments indicating a need to better align sailing schedules with market demand and school holiday periods. The company said it remains in discussions with Aroya Cruises’ owners to finalise a revised and commercially viable launch date.

The cruise vessel can accommodate more than 3,500 passengers and offers four accommodation categories, ranging from standard cabins to suites and villas. Onboard facilities include swimming pools, water slides, sports amenities and halal dining, alongside religious programming and lectures led by Malaysian preacher Ustaz Wadi Anuar and Indonesian scholar Ustaz Abdul Somad.

While the programme is designed primarily for Muslim travellers performing Umrah, non-Muslim passengers are also permitted to join the cruise, with tailored packages that exclude pilgrimage activities.

Organisers estimate the initiative could attract between 6,000 and 8,000 visitors annually once fully operational, supporting Malaysia’s broader ambitions to strengthen its position in the global halal and Islamic tourism market.

Saudi Arabia’s famed AlUla, home to historical sites and civilizations, have been named the World’s leading Cultural Tourism Project 2025.  

AlUla secured the honour at this year’s World Travel Awards, cementing its position as a hub for culture, heritage, exploration, and discovery.

AlUla’s latest accolade comes after the city was named as the Middle East's leading cultural tourism project 2025, Middle East's leading Festival and event destination 2025, and Saudi Arabia's Leading Cultural Tourism Project 2025 at the recent regional edition of the World Travel Awards.

AlUla, sprawling across 22,561 square kilometres in the northwestern area of Saudi Arabia, offers a journey though oases, sandstone formations and cultural landmarks. It is home to some of the region's and the world’s most significant cultural landmarks, including Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, which features a collection of preserved Nabataean tombs.

Taiwan plans to open a tourism office in Indonesia next year as it looks to capture a greater portion of one of the world’s fastest-growing outbound travel markets. 

More than 200,000 Indonesians visit Taiwan each year. Taiwan is looking to ramp up those figures by establishing an on-the-ground presence in Jakarta in 2026. 

Lin Hsin-jen, Taiwan's deputy representative in Indonesia, described the Southeast Asian country as a market Taiwan can no longer afford to overlook, noting that the country of 280 million is not only "the world's largest Muslim tourism market," but also one of the region's most reliably growing economies.

"For Taiwan, this is our new blue ocean for tourism," Hsin-jen told the Central News Agency (CNA). 

Taiwan also consistently ranks second or third worldwide in global surveys evaluating Muslim-friendly tourism destinations, he added.

"Visitors can shop, enjoy mountains and rivers, and experience culture - all in one place. In this way, Taiwan's tourism products are a perfect match for the Indonesian market."

Taiwan is also strengthening industrial and trade ties with Indonesia, Lu Feng-ching, director of the economic division of the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) in Indonesia, told CNA.

This year, Taiwan and Indonesia signed a design cooperation agreement aimed at expanding exchanges in exhibitions, professional judging and young designer talent, he said.

An agreement on halal promotion was also inked, enabling Taiwanese food, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals certified by the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association to enter Indonesia without additional certification.

This agreement not only promotes bilateral trade, but also opens doors to Middle Eastern markets, Feng-ching said.

Taiwanese businesses are expanding their footprint across Indonesia, with roughly 2,000 companies active in manufacturing and services, across shoe, textile and electronics manufacturing to financial services, telecommunications and transport.

The scope of educational exchanges with Indonesia through scholarships and specialized programs has also been broadened, according to Grace Ou, director of the education division at TETO.

The Taiwan government launched a new initiative in 2023 offering dual-degree programs, where students from Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand spend two years studying in their home countries and two years in Taiwan, with the goal of enabling them to stay and work in Taiwan after graduation, she said.

Red Sea Global (RSG) has secured SAR 6.5 billion ($1.73 billion) in financing from a consortium of Saudi banks to advance the next phase of construction at AMAALA, the luxury wellness tourism destination on the kingdom’s Red Sea coast.

The facility, arranged under a mix of conventional and Islamic financing, was led by Riyad Bank as sole underwriter, with The Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB) and Bank AlBilad acting as mandated lead arrangers. The structure follows RSG’s Green Loan Framework, which aligns with global sustainability-linked lending standards.

The financing marks the latest collaboration between RSG and Riyad Bank, which also supported the company’s earlier SAR 2 billion facility for a joint venture to develop the Four Seasons Resort on Shura Island.

The deal was advised by Akin (borrower counsel) and Linklaters (lenders counsel), which structured the package under internationally recognised Green Bond and Green Loan Principles.

The transaction adds to a growing pipeline of green financing in Saudi Arabia as the country positions sustainable tourism as a key pillar of economic diversification.

Amazon UAE has teamed up with Emirates Islamic and Mastercard to launch its first credit card in the Middle East and North Africa region. 

The free-for-life card bears no annual membership fee, and will soon be available in the UAE.

The Amazon Emirates Islamic Mastercard Credit Card will earn customers value back of up to 6% on their purchases off Amazon website and up to 2.5% on purchases elsewhere. Benefits will be credited and available to redeem as a discount on their next Amazon purchase. 

“True to our commitment that Prime is the best way to enjoy Amazon, this card is no different, offering incremental savings along the way to Prime members who sign up for the card,” said Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President, Amazon Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.

“This collaboration with Amazon and Emirates Islamic highlights the trust in our ability to drive digital-first innovation at scale. By combining security, rewards, and convenience, the Amazon Credit Card is set to become a preferred option for consumers while supporting the UAE’s growing digital payments landscape,” said Dimitrios Dosis, President, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard.