TH logo to be displayed at leased buildings

MAKKAH: The logo of the Pilgrims Fund or Tabung Haji (TH) will be displayed more clearly at leased accommodations in Makkah and Madinah as a strategic measure to expose the international community to the agency's brand.
Its chairman, Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim said the initiative also enabled Malaysian Haj pilgrims to easily identify their accommodations in the future.
Currently, several owners of hotels leased to TH are in the process of securing approval from their local authorities to display the logo.
"We are confident that the approvals will be secured soon and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak is scheduled to visit Makkah and Madinah in December to launch the placement of the Tabung Haji logo at the leased accommodations," he told reporters here Monday.
He was met after attending a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between TH and Al-Rawda Investment for Real Estate Development and Projects Management Ltd (Al-Rawda) for the extension of the lease period of accommodations owned by the company, namely, Hotel Al-Haram and Hotel Al-Saha.
TH was represented by the head of the Malaysian Haj Delegation 1438 Hijrah Datuk Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman and Al-Rawda by its chairman Dr Mashhoor Ali Al Madodi at the event.
Also present were Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, TH group managing director and chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Johan Abdullah as well as several Cabinet ministers.
Abdul Azeez said through the agreement, TH would extend the lease of the five-star Al-Haram Hotel which has 606 rooms, and the four-star Al-Saha Hotel with the capacity of 227 rooms for another 20 years until 2027.
"Both hotels are strategically located in Madinah, at about 100m from the Nabawi Mosque. The contract is a positive one as Al-Rawda will maintain its rental costs although its hotel expenses have increased," he explained.
He hoped that with the extension of the lease period, TH and Al-Rawda could together find ways to provide value-added services to Malaysian Haj pilgrims.
This Haj season, the Malaysian pilgrims are housed in 24 accommodations in Makkah, while in Madinah 11 accommodations are involved.
He also thanked the Saudi Arabia government for providing more privileges to Malaysian pilgrims, including the proposed Tabung Haji Complexes in Makkah dan Madinah, following the good ties established between the countries.
"TH has visited several prospective locations for the construction of a complex in Makkah. Today (Tuesday), we will visit the site in Madinah.
"Currently, we have not finalised our decision on the matter. The Prime Minister is expected to attend the signing ceremony (for the launch of the complexes) at the end of this year," he added.
The proposal for the construction of Tabung Haji complex in Makkah and Madinah was voiced by the Prime Minister to the King of Saudi Arabia, Raja Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, during his visit to to Malaysia in February. — Bernama