VIII Kurultay (meeting) of Religious Muslim Board of Kazakstan was held in Almati and according to it the new muftiy of Kazakstan has become Oraz Khadji Serikbay, Chief imam of “Khazret Sultan” grand mosque.
On December 8th new muftiy Serikbay Khodji Oraz was presented for the participants of the meeting. About 300 delegates univocally approved the candidature of Serikbay Khodji Oraz. During the meeting new deputies of the muftiy were elected. The former muftiy was 45-years old Erjan Khodji Malgajioli.
Serikbay Oraz Satibaldi oli was born on April 12, 1975. In 1992 he graduated madrasah on preparation of Koran reciters in Tashkent, University of Al Azkhar in Egypt and World University of Islamabad. Studied (part time) at State Law University named after Abay in Almati.
He worked as an assistant imam in a Almati mosque, teacher at Islamic Institute and the rector of Islamic University. In 2013 he was appointed as Deputy Muftiy and Chief Imam of “Khazret Sultan” grand mosque. Married and has 7 kids.
Press Service,
Muslim Board of Uzbekistan
A meeting was held yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the implementation of the decree of the Head of our state “On Measures to Further Develop Domestic and Pilgrimage Tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan” dated February 9, 2021, and the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers “On Additional Measures to Implement the “Umrah Plus” Pilgrimage Tourism Program dated January 9, 2026, as well as to expanding tourist flows from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore to Uzbekistan, reports Dunyo IA.
According to the MFA, the meeting, organized in a hybrid format, was attended by representatives of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan, the Committee on Religious Affairs, the Technical Regulation Agency, the khokimiyats of Bukhara and Samarkand regions and Tashkent city, JSC Uzbekistan Airways, JSC Uzbekistan Airports, domestic airlines, the Uzbekistan–Malaysia–Indonesia Travel Association, the Association of Umrah Pilgrimage Travel Agencies, as well as nearly 40 representatives of tourism companies.
Participants discussed in detail transport and logistics, service quality, and promotional measures aimed at increasing tourist arrivals to Uzbekistan from Southeast Asian countries. In particular, they considered increasing the number of flights from Malaysia, launching direct flights from Indonesia and Singapore, intensifying promotional activities for pilgrimage tourism under the “Umrah Plus” program, aligning infrastructure for foreign pilgrims with international halal standards, and strengthening coordination with tourism companies operating in this field.
The event was held in an open dialogue format based on the “problem–proposal–solution” approach, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange constructive views on existing challenges and opportunities in the sector.