51% want to spend Ramadan in quiet prayer

As airlines slash fares, hotels and other businesses stage numerous iftars and retailers target shoppers with special deals, an Arabian Business poll has suggested that Muslims in the Gulf region are more interested in the quiet life during Ramadan.

A majority of our readers are seemingly not interested in travelling abroad or splashing out on good at their local shopping mall.

Instead they are more interested in the traditional sense of the holy month - using the month of September in quiet prayer and reflection.

Our online poll revealed that 51 percent of respondents were planning to spend Ramadan in this way.

A further 16 percent saw the holy month as an opportunity to spend less time at work and more time with their family members.

While shopping is a long-held passion among many Gulf residents, just eight percent of respondents said they would take the opportunity to spend more time at the malls and socialising at events such as evening iftars.

This could be bad news for retailers in the region who traditionally extend opening hours at night in a bid to attract more Muslim customers.

However, there is better news for local TV broadcasters as 25 percent of those who took part in our poll said they would spend a lot more time in front of their televisions during Ramadan.

It is a competitive time for TV companies who look to cash in on the fact that Muslims spend more time at home during the holy month.

Special programming schedules are put together in a bid to boost ratings although, as Arabian Business reported last month, MTV Arabia has taken the decision to remove all music videos from its programmes in respect of Ramadan.

For more news about the holy month, visit our Ramadan Special Report.

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