Radisson Blu Residences, Dubai Marina, is aware of the complications in maintaining compliance with sharia law.
Other stories: Dubai World hands hotels to Istithmar /
A well-defined outline of what constitutes a sharia-compliant hotel does not exist despite the growing demand across the region for sharia developments, according to hotel operators.
A number of hotel staff from across the region claim that the rules defining sharia hospitality are unclear and can be confusing for both guests and operators.
Despite following the basic fundamentals of sharia (no alcohol and separate public areas for men and women) at the Tamani Hotel Marina, Dubai, Tamani GCC sales and marking director Roddy Gordon asserted that there was still no set standard for sharia hotels.
“There is no benchmark; sharia is not very well defined. Different people have different interpretations of what sharia is,” stated Gordon.
Meanwhile sharia-compliant property, Radisson Blu Residences, Dubai Marina, has struggled to modify its sharia values.
The property’s general manager Cornelia Erhardt noted: “The sharia law is very demanding, but we’re not 100% compliant. We’re not serving alcohol and we have separate recreation areas for women and men.”
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The hotel used to have a mixed outdoor pool, but following a sharia audit the hotel was advised this could not be permitted.
As a result Erhardt claimed that to accommodate a mixture of 70% international guests and 30% intraregional guests, the property had to launch a shuttle bus service to the beach for families wishing enjoy the beach and sea together.
V. Five Continents Hospitality Group chief executive operator and founder Richard Abou Jaoude suggested their was a deal of confusion surrounding the term ‘sharia compliant’.
“For a hotel to be fully sharia compliant it would need a team of religious advisors on board and it really has to go the whole way,” he added.
Governments across the region have shown an interest in investing in sharia-compliant businesses, and following the success of applying sharia law to banking and investment systems, hoteliers had appeared only too keen to apply the law to hospitality.
However, a stream of sharia-compliant planned hospitality projects have yet to materialise, despite major announcements made by regional developers and operators.
Shaza Hotels’ alcohol-free luxury hotel joint venture with Kempinski Hotels and Guidance Financial Group has yet to launch any of the 30 hotels set to open across the region during the next 10 years; there has also been no news on Dubai-based Al Mulla Hospitality who had unveiled plans for 30 branded sharia-compliant hotels.
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Oct 4, 2009 , United Arab Emirates
Remember no bacon or any pork product , also your controller needs to be afluent with the financial side of sharia ( interest free bank accounts - no fixed deposits on his ledgers , no use of conventional loans ) and most important to pay salaries on time and do not "hold" overtime monies ... fol...
Sep 30, 2009 , Saudi Arabia
This is a very 'Dubai' style article for a magazine that represents the region. Saudi Arabian Hoteliers operate Sharia compliant hotels from bachelor only properties to family properties to family/bachelor properties. Where there's a will there's a way.