Guide to Sarawak
For event organisers
Getting from airport to city centre
Venues and Hotels
Finding the venue for you ▶
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching
Capacity: 5,000. Ideal for: congresses, exhibitions and conventions. Features 36,500sqm, a 2,500sqm pillar-free exhibition hall and 14 meeting rooms on the riverbank.
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Riverside Majestic Hotel
Capacity: 10-900. Ideal for: conferences, corporate events and gala dinners. Waterfront hotel in the city centre with a 900-capacity Sarawak…
Photo: Pullman Kuching Pullman Kuching
Capacity: 10–1,200. Ideal for: conferences, exhibitions and gala dinners. Kuching's largest MICE hotel, with 13 meeting rooms across 3,163sqm and…
Photo: Hilton Kuching Hilton Kuching
Capacity: 10–750. Ideal for: conferences, gala dinners and corporate events. Recently renovated, with ten meeting rooms, a Grand Ballroom and…
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching
Capacity: 5,000. Ideal for: congresses, exhibitions and conventions. Features 36,500sqm, a 2,500sqm pillar-free exhibition hall and 14 meeting rooms on…
Finding the hotel for you ▶
Riverside Majestic Hotel – Puteri Wing
Rooms: 513. Mid-range business hotel on the Sarawak River waterfront, with panoramic city views, an outdoor pool and three restaurants
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Photo: Meritin Hotel Meritin Hotel
Rooms: 67. Compact mid-range boutique hotel in the heart of Kuching's old town, steps from the Cat Statue, Jalan Padungan and the Waterfront Esplanade.
Read more >Riverside Majestic Hotel – Puteri Wing
Rooms: 513. Mid-range business hotel on the Sarawak River waterfront, with panoramic city views, an outdoor pool and three restaurants
Photo: Meritin Hotel Meritin Hotel
Rooms: 67. Compact mid-range boutique hotel in the heart of Kuching's old town, steps from the Cat Statue, Jalan Padungan…
Photo: Grand Margherita Hotel Grand Margherita Hotel
Rooms: 274. Mid-range cost hotel on the Sarawak River waterfront – Sarawak's first international hotel, with city-centre convenience.
Stats you should know
60%
of delegates said they would return to Sarawak for leisure
4.2
rating given by delegates for event-hosting capabilities
100%
of bids made were won by Sarawak from 2022-24
Latest news from Sarawak
How hands-on is the CVB?
The CVB is called Business Events Sarawak. They specialise in creating a legacy for events.
In fact, Sarawak achieved 100% bid success rate from 2022 to 2024 because the destination focuses on events that can benefit the destination and leave a lasting footprint. An example is the World Water Congress 2028, a bid that Sarawak won as the destination leverages its need for clean water infrastructure to support the region. In short, conferences that make a lasting difference to the region itself. These are the services they provide:
- Bid development – Support with bid preparation, destination materials and the bidding process.
- Venue and supplier matching – Connections to venues, PCOs, DMCs, hotels and local service providers.
- Financial support – BESarawak provides financial assistance and in-kind services to qualifying events, including delegate boosting programmes.
- Legacy360 framework – A tool for measuring and communicating the broader social and environmental impact of an event.
- AI.LEGACY platform – An AI-powered tool helping organisers in planning and quantifying event legacy outcomes.
- Destination marketing – Promotional support, imagery and collateral to assist with delegate-facing marketing.
- BESPartner Directory – A curated directory of accredited local venues, event managers and suppliers.
Key sectors in Sarawak
Energy and natural resources
Fossil fuels and lubricants account for 61.6% of Sarawak's exports, with oil and gas the dominant industry historically. Sarawak is now pivoting aggressively toward renewable energy.
Green hydrogen
Sarawak has positioned itself as Southeast Asia's emerging green hydrogen hub, leveraging its surplus hydropower capacity.
Agriculture and forestry
Agriculture employs 20.1% of Sarawak's workforce and remains a significant sector, with palm oil (CPO) a leading export commodity alongside LNG.
Digital economy
Sarawak's Digital Economy Blueprint 2030 targets 94% high-speed connectivity by 2025 and is driving digitalisation across agriculture, education and public services.
Tourism and hospitality
The services sector accounted for 38.3% of Sarawak's GDP in 2023 and is projected to grow 6.7% in 2024. Sarawak received 4.8 million visitor arrivals in 2024.
How sustainable is Sarawak?
Sarawak's strength in sustainability lies more in its circular economy and its track record of supporting local communities than on green venue certifications. BESarawak puts a lot of emphasis on using local suppliers, local service providers, and sourcing food locally – to the point where they don't even use providers from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, as they want benefits to fall on local people. CSR (corporate social responsibility) is of high importance to the CVB.
The state is also undergoing a rapid energy transition. Hydropower now accounts for 70% of electricity generation – ahead of the 2030 target – and carbon emissions fell 73% between 2010 and 2022. A Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint 2030 was launched in 2025, covering energy transition, circular economy and sustainable cities.
For business events, BESarawak was the first in Malaysia to join the GDS-Index, and its Legacy360 and AI.LEGACY tools are internationally recognised for measuring event impact. The main sustainability cost for most events will be international air travel, given the connecting flight requirement for all long-haul delegates.
(MENTION FOOD WASTE PROJECT + AND ADD ANY SUSTAINABILITY DATA POINTS IN PLACE OF WHAT I HAVE BELOW)
A snapshot
70%
of electricity generated by hydropower
73%
of carbon emissions cut between 2010-2022
35m trees
Planted by Sarawak ahead of 2025 target (Greening Malaysia Campaign)
Local projects organisers can get involved in
Entertaining your delegates in Sarawak
Photo: Oconer Belarmino Payba Semenggoh Wildlife Centre
Orangutan rehabilitation sanctuary 30 minutes from Kuching, offering twice-daily feeding sessions with semi-wild orangutans in their natural forest habitat.
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Photo: muhammad muaz Bako National Park
Sarawak's oldest national park, established 1957, with 16 trails, seven distinct ecosystems and near-guaranteed proboscis monkey sightings. 40km from Kuching by road and boat.
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Photo: Oconer Belarmino Payba Semenggoh Wildlife Centre
Orangutan rehabilitation sanctuary 30 minutes from Kuching, offering twice-daily feeding sessions with semi-wild orangutans in their natural forest habitat.
Photo: NML Rainforest World Music Festival
Annual three-day festival held each June at Sarawak Cultural Village, bringing together musicians from across the globe in a UNESCO-listed…
Photo: Then c.n Kuching Old Town
A 2km esplanade along the Sarawak River flanked by colonial-era buildings, Chinese shophouses, street food stalls and the iconic river…
Photo: Ginny Toh Sarawak Cultural Village
Award-winning 17-acre living museum at the foot of Mount Santubong, showcasing seven ethnic groups through traditional longhouses, crafts and cultural…
Things to be aware of in Sarawak
Kuching is generally considered safe for business visitors. Violent crime targeting tourists is rare, and overall crime fell 6.9% in 2025. The most common concerns are petty theft, which does occur but not to the same extent as in most major European cities, for example. There are some health considerations to bear in mind, for example in certain rural communities outside Kuching rabies outbreaks have been known to occur, as well as cases of dengue virus, but this is generally not an issue in Kuching. Cases are very rare and have not affected tourists so far. Any delegates with concerns can get a vaccination prior to travelling.
Vaccination
against viruses
Such as rabies and dengue may be advisable if delegates have concerns, but so far there have been no cases of tourists or delegates contracting these viruses (VERIFY?) and there are post-event treatments available
Pickpocketing
can occur
In the busy areas of Kuching, however the risk is lower compared to most major capitals where pickpocketing is considered an issue.
Useful information
Entry requirements Sarawak operates its own immigration system, separate from Peninsular Malaysia – delegates connecting through KL will clear Malaysian immigration on arrival there and Sarawak immigration on arrival in Kuching. Most nationalities including UK, US, EU, Canadian and Australian passport holders can enter visa-free for up to 90 days. A Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) must be completed online within three days before arrival. Check requirements at imi.gov.my.
Heat and humidity Sarawak temperatures hover between 29-33°C during the day all year-round. All venues are air-conditioned. June-August is generally recommended as the ideal event period.
Wet season November-March is the wet season, and often sees very heavy rainfall.
Currency Malaysian Ringgit (MYR/RM). Cards are accepted in hotels, malls and most restaurants.
Electricity Type G sockets (three-pin) – the same as the UK.
Time zone Eight hours ahead of London (GMT); 13 hours ahead of New York (EST); one hour behind Tokyo.
Language Bahasa Malaysia is the official language, but English is widely spoken in Kuching. In fact, the official language of the state administration is English. Sarawak is multilingual, with Iban, Mandarin and numerous indigenous languages also spoken.
Emergency services 999 for police, fire and ambulance.
Public transport in Sarawak
Kuching International Airport (KCH) sits 15-20 minutes from the city centre by taxi or Grab (like Uber), with fares typically running $5-7.
There is currently no rail link to the airport. The Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) – a hydrogen-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit network spanning three lines across 69.9km – is under construction, with phased opening expected from 2028.
Getting around Grab (Southeast Asia's dominant ride-hailing app) and metered taxis are the most practical options for delegates at small to medium-sized events. For larger events, BESarawak often organises buses to take delegates from hotels to the convention centre and anywhere else they plan to go. Public transport in the traditional sense is limited.
Taxi service is called
Grab
And works identically to Uber
Taxis available
At the airport
And major hotels
Traditional
Public transport
Is limited