Sharia or not?

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Tamani Hotel Marina Dubai was one property that refused to comment for the Arabian Travel News Islamic hospitality feature. Why?

Why are so-called 'Sharia-compliant' properties giving out mixed PR and marketing messages and confusing us all? ATN tells the story so far.

In the last 12 months the region has seen an increase in new, locally-based regional hotel groups and individual properties claiming to offer a 'Sharia-compliant' or 'Islamic hospitality' based product.

Given the confusion and lack of understanding of exactly what such a hotel offers, ATN set out to write an article outlining their basic principles.

The idea was to help travel agents sell Islamic or Sharia-compliant hotels to their clients, and to outline services and facilities of the hotels involved, with the objective of supporting regional travel for families, couples and individuals.

Our own basic understanding of 'Sharia compliant' indicates that such hotels should offer the following:

• Alcohol free

• Serving Halal food

• Reflecting Islamic and Sharia values and social responsibility

• Following the Zakat principle, giving back to the community

• Adhering to Islamic principles and possibly:

• Large enough function rooms /or more than one to cater to separate male/female requirements

• Adequate facilities for prayers

• Separate health club and fitness facilities for male and female

Indeed, some hotels/hotel groups claim the above features on their websites.

However, when approached to give their interpretation and description of exactly what and how they are Sharia compliant or offering Islamic Hospitality, not one was willing to comment.

In most cases, the requests for information were ignored and in some cases the journalist was advised that the hotel/chain did 'not want to be linked to (other hotels) claiming to offer Islamic Hospitality'.

It was puzzling, to say the least given that both Arabian Travel News, and it's sister publication, Hotelier Middle East had been inundated with press releases claiming 'the world's first Sharia-compliant hotel brand' with terminology like 'opting for an Islamic hotel product' or 'conforming to the principles of Sharia'.

Not only that but several articles proclaiming the 'growing popularity of Islamic hotels' have been written of late.

But we have yet to identify exactly what this means to the guest, how the travel agent should sell it and how it differentiates the product from any other hotel group.

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