March-April. 2026
Exclusive 07
Steering ITC into its next phase
ITC’ s new leadership is set to further advance Islamic tourism development
ITC is located within the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in Putrajaya.
FOR years, the Islamic Tourism Centre( ITC) has played a central role in advancing Malaysia’ s Islamic tourism agenda, driving policy development, setting industry standards, and delivering capacity-building initiatives across the sector.
As Muslim-friendly tourism continues to evolve globally, strong, forward-looking leadership remains critical to guiding the industry through its next phase of growth.
Building on the solid foundation laid by its previous leadership, ITC now enters a new chapter with the appointment of Mohammad Faisal Abu Suaib Khan as its director-general, signalling a continued commitment to strengthening Malaysia’ s position as a leading global destination for Muslim-friendly tourism.
With more than a decade of experience across strategic leadership, public policy, international engagement, and stakeholder management, Mohammad Faisal brings a multidimensional perspective to the role at a time when Malaysia is in the midst of Visit Malaysia 2026 and intensifying efforts to expand its Muslim-friendly tourism ecosystem.
His appointment reflects ITC’ s commitment to advancing evidencebased policy, empowering industry, and fostering international collaboration in line with national tourism priorities.
ACADEMIC AND LEADERSHIP CREDENTIALS
Mohammad Faisal holds a Master of Business Administration( Leadership) from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak and a Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Manage- ment and Leadership Practice from the Chartered Management Institute in London.
He is pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration at Universiti Utara Malaysia, underscoring his strong grounding in leadership theory, research, and applied management.
His career reflects a strong foundation in strategic planning and governance. From 2014 to 2023, Mohammad Faisal led national-level digital communication initiatives, directing strategic messaging and overseeing content development and engagement p e r f o r m a n c e across multiple platforms.
His earlier professional experience includes managing large-scale events, notably the Langkawi International Mountain Bike Challenge, where he oversaw planning, logistics, stakeholder coordination, and on-theground
Mohammad Faisal Abu
Suaib Khan.
�As Muslimfriendly tourism continues to evolve globally, strong, forwardlooking leadership remains critical to guiding the industry through its next phase of growth.
execution.
Before joining ITC, he served as Corporate Services Director at STF Group, where he optimised financial strategies, managed complex legal matters, and facilitated long-term residency in Malaysia under the Malaysia My Second Home( MM2H) programme.
His academic and professional background complements ITC’ s growing emphasis on research-driven policy formulation, data-led decision-making, and structured industry development.
ADVANCING ITC’ S STRATEGIC MANDATES
As director-general, Mohammad Faisal is expected to play a key role in advancing ITC’ s core mandates, including expanding Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition( MFAR), strengthening industry capacity-building, improving data collection on Muslim tourist markets, and deepening international cooperation with global Islamic tourism and halal economy stakeholders.
His appointment comes at a pivotal moment, as ITC continues to support national tourism strategies, enhance Malaysia’ s competitiveness in the global Muslim travel market, and position the country as a benchmark for Muslim-friendly tourism standards and best practice.
With his blend of strategic leadership, policy insight, and international exposure, Mohammad Faisal’ s leadership is expected to further reinforce ITC’ s role as a key driver of inclusive, sustainable, and globally respected Islamic tourism development.- RnR