Shariah by any other name

The issue of Shariah-compliant hotels continues to be a source of confusion for the travel trade and consumers alike; ATN seeks to clarify the situation.

The Islamic hospitality market, or Shariah-compliant hotels, is pegged to be one of the fastest growing hospitality segments, according to Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) conference co-organiser Jonathan Worsley.

This may or may not be the case, but there remains some confusion in the industry about what a 'Shariah-compliant', or 'Islamic-compliant' hotel actually is.

 

Many people seem to have theories, but to date even hotels groups who claim they are Shariah compliant have failed to venture a clear definition.

The difficulty in clearly resolving this issue is compounded by the fact that there are no regulatory bodies established to correlate hotels chains' claims of Shariah compliance, and many in the industry believe that even if there were, it would lead to more confusion, not less.



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

• Be alcohol free

• Serve Halal food

• Reflect Islamic and Shariah values and social responsibility

• Adhere to Islamic principles

• Follow the Zakat principle, giving back to the community

And possibly

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

• Adequate facilities for prayer time

• Separate health club and fitness facilities for male and female
 

While some issues are clearly defined -the non-availability of alcohol and serving Halal food - other areas are not so clear-cut, for example the manner in which properties and companies are financed, and the demographics of hotel staff.

Perhaps this is the reason that hotel companies are growing reluctant to term themselves as Shariah compliant, with many reaching to the back of their lexicons to use phrases like "traditional Arabic hospitality" or "respecting the culture and heritage of the region" to describe their product offer.

The Rezidor Hotel Group has estimated that the Shariah-compliant hospitality market will grow by 20% per year over the next decade.

With a growing population of savvy travellers from the Middle East - and other areas with large Muslim populations - increasingly seeking culturally appropriate accommodation, the need for agreement to be  reached on what a Shariah compliant brand actually is, will steadily grow.

Speaking at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai in April, ABC Namebank president Naseem Javed said the success of a global Shariah compliant hotel brand would depend on its presentation to consumers and the wider industry.



"Without master branding you have nothing," he said.

"This is not [just] a question of adding the word 'Islamic' to a property, or calling a property 'non-alcoholic'.

"You pick any industry, whether it be the internet or e-commerce or anything like that, they are all based on simplicity, clarity and master-branding."

Javed said he was currently working on "a fast track basis" with authorities to establish exactly what a 'Shariah compliant' hotel is.

The conclusion of this may resolve the issue once and for all but until then, hotels will continue to take differing approaches to how they tackle this issue and conflicting definitions will continue.

Related link: Shaza sets record straight