Dubai: Dubai has been ranked the most halal-friendly shopping destination in the world by Crescentrating, a Singapore-based pioneer in the halal-friendly travel segment.
The top 10 halal-friendly shopping destinations for 2012 were based on surveys and traveller feedback. "All the polls that we did always came up with the same results for the top two destinations: Dubai, followed by Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia]," says Fazal Bahardeen, CEO and founder of Crescentrating, who hopes to sustain it annually.
"From the month-long Dubai Shopping Festival to the busy markets of Hong Kong, the destinations selected provide a variety of experiences for shoppers," says Bahardeen.
Selection process
It took the company three months of polling and surveying to come up with results accurately representing the world, not just Arab nations or Muslim countries. "The selected cities were chosen on a five-point basis," explains Bahardeen. "The top priority was that the city had to offer an amazingly varied shopping experience — from malls to markets and souqs. Second, it was important to note the availability of halal food in those malls, markets, souqs and shopping districts. The third criterion was availability of prayer facilities in malls and shopping districts. The fourth criterion was availability of a family-friendly environment. And last, it was important for each of the selected cities to have halal-friendly hotels that do not serve pork or alcohol...," says the CEO.
The DSF also adds to Dubai's charm. "It's the annual DSF that adds to the charm of the emirate," says Bahardeen. "DSF provides a variety of shopping experiences ranging from upmarket malls to designer boutiques, street stores, souqs and even night markets. Very few cities in the world can compare shopping experiences to Dubai."
Top 10 cities
- Dubai,
- Kuala Lumpur,
- Istanbul,
- Singapore,
- Bangkok,
- Delhi,
- Johannesburg,
- Bali,
- London
- and Hong Kong
