Irhal, a bilingual Arabic and English mobile application has been launched for Muslim travellers. The app guides users to tourist attractions and shopping places in 90 cities around the world, lists the nearest halal restaurants and mosques. Prayer timings and a compass showing the direction of the Makkah are also included in the app, which can be downloaded for free from the Apple or Android store.
“One of my biggest worries as a tourist has always been locating halal restaurants,” chief executive Dr Irfan Ahmad shares. “On Fridays, I also worry about finding a mosque for Juma prayers.”
According to a recent Thomson Reuters study, Islamic tourism is a $137 billion market and tourists from the GCC spend $40 billion every year. With more than 70 per cent mobile penetration, Irhal aims to become the must-have resource for all Muslim travellers.
