The world received its first dynamic booking engine, aimed squarely at the Muslim travel market, with the launch of Rihaala.com today.

Discussing the unveiling of the new online travel agent (OTA), Nabeel Shariff, the founder of Rihaala.com and Serendipity Tailormade (the company behind the new OTA), said: “Rihaala meets the demands and expectations of modern Muslim travellers who like all savvy consumers, not only want to create their own travel packages online, but be inspired by like- minded travellers through rich visual content on social feeds that paints a true picture of a destination.”

“Visitors to Rihaala.com are guided by the travel experiences of other Muslims through social channels posted on its ‘Wall of Inspiration’ in real-time, helping them to make informed purchasing decisions, and when they curate their journey, they can be confident our offering meets the requirements of their faith.”

“As a company that seeks to be a pioneer in the halal travel space in the UK and globally, launching Rihaala was the next logical step in our growth story,” added Nabeel. “Travel technology has moved on and so have Muslim travellers and we are listening to our customers about how they want to book and experience travel now, and in the future.” Rihaala provides in-depth information on destinations and hotels to help travellers select products and services that suit their modern Muslim lifestyle.

Global Muslim spend on travel is set to reach USD 274 billion by 2023, up from USD 177 billion in 2017, according to the State of the Islamic Economy Report 2018-2019 – a reflection of the growing affluence of the Muslim middle classes in Muslim and non-Muslim countries around the world, including the UK, which in 2018 was home to 3.373 million Muslim citizens (source: Office for National Statistics).

Rihaala.com content will include halal dining options, privacy enhancements, alcohol-free environments, prayer facilities, family-friendly experiences, as well as a lifestyle-led blogs spanning multiple genres of interest to Muslim consumers.