Combining the Umrah pilgrimage with visits to religious sites in Uzbekistan: How does the "Umrah Plus" project work?
The "Umra Plus" international tourism association has been established in Tashkent. The main goal of the new structure is to attract foreign tourists traveling for the Umrah pilgrimage to Uzbekistan and to promote the country's pilgrimage tourism potential on an international level.
Combining the Umrah pilgrimage with visits to religious sites in Uzbekistan: How will the "Umrah Plus" project be implemented?
The official opening ceremony of the Association took place on September 29 at the Azimut Grand Hotel in Tashkent. The event was attended by representatives of the Tourism Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of foreign embassies and the diplomatic corps, tourism industry professionals, and international partners.
One of the main directions of the Association's activities is to attract pilgrims from Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries to Uzbekistan through the "Umrah Plus" program. Under this program, the Umrah pilgrimage is planned to be combined with visits to historical and religious monuments in Uzbekistan.
Within the framework of the program, tourist routes covering Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara are scheduled to be developed. The government resolution approved a roadmap to attract 100,000 tourists in the direction of pilgrimage tourism from Malaysia and Indonesia in 2026–2027.
Additionally, the program provides for the development of tourist services for participants, the establishment of flights, and the expansion of cooperation with foreign tour operators. In particular, routes including travel from Kuala Lumpur to Saudi Arabia via Samarkand or Bukhara are also indicated.
This initiative is also being developed in practice on the basis of international cooperation. In September, the "Umrah Plus" international tourism fair was held in Almaty, where it was announced that agreements had been reached to attract nearly 10,000 pilgrims to Uzbekistan by the end of 2026.
A memorandum of cooperation was also signed between the tourism organizations of Uzbekistan and Malaysia within the framework of the "Umrah Plus" program. It provides for joint projects, exchange of experience, and the development of cooperation in the field of pilgrimage tourism.
The "Umrah Plus" program itself is being developed in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 6 dated January 9, 2026. According to the resolution, until the end of 2026, tour operators attracting tourists from Malaysia and Indonesia under the program will be granted a subsidy of 100 USD for each tourist.
The newly established association aims to coordinate work in this direction on an international level, expand cooperation with foreign tourism markets, and turn Uzbekistan into one of the important destinations for pilgrimage tourism.