No Malaysian celebrations this year

Malaysia will not hold festivities in Jeddah for its 57th national day celebrations out of respect for the victims of Malaysian flights MH370 and MH17, which perished scarcely four months apart.
“Malaysia is still going strong despite numerous challenges faced this year,” a high-ranking official told Arab News on Saturday. “This year’s theme focuses on nation-building.”
The official lauded the strong relations between the Kingdom and his country.
“Saudi Arabia had sent representatives during Malaysia’s proclamation of independence on Aug. 31, 1957. Trade and investment remain major cornerstones of bilateral relations,” he said.
“Thousands of Malaysians visit Makkah and Madinah yearly. This year, around 22,320 Malaysian Haj pilgrims will be performing the pilgrimage.”
“Pilgrims will arrive from seven Malaysian cities until Sept. 27,” he said. “Of the 39 flights, 22 are direct flights to Madinah and the other 17 are direct flights to Jeddah. All Haj flights are chartered on Boeing 777-200 aircraft, which boast a 282-seat capacity,” he added.
Malaysian Consul General Mohammed Khalid A. Razak, meanwhile, said that Saudi Arabia is an important market in West Asia for Malaysian tourism. He said Malaysia is one of the most fascinating and popular destinations in the Islamic world.
“Around 95,000 Saudis had visited Malaysia last year. Apart from enjoying holidays in Malaysia, a substantial number of Saudi citizens also avail themselves of the state-of-the-art health care, ranked among the world’s top three health tourism destinations in 2013.”
The consul-general also added that trade between Malaysia and the Kingdom increased more than threefold at the end of 2013 to more than $3 billion, up from just under $1 billion in 2000.