Home » S. Africa Gets Halal Hotel

S. Africa Gets Halal Hotel

News From : DagangHalal.com (17 Dec 2009)

CAPE TOWN — With a few months remaining to the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Dubai-based Coral Hotels & Resorts opens on Tuesday, December 15, the first halal hotel in Cape Town.

“We are proud to say Coral International Cape Town will be open as planned well in advance of 2010 FIFA World Cup,” Hamza Farooqui, Group CEO for Cii Holdings, a leading South African business house, told IslamOnline.net.

The hotel is located on the edge of the historic Bo-Kaap which is a recognized heritage site on the slopes of Signal Hill in Cape Town.

It has a breathtaking view of the Table Mountain, one of Cape Town’s most attractive views.

The hotel features 140 rooms with top-end amenities such as high-speed wireless broadband connectivity, plasma screen televisions and luxurious linens.

“Managed by Coral Hotels & Resorts, it has been designed to offer the ultimate comforts and facilities,” says Farooqui.

The construction of the hotel started in the first quarter of 2007 and has cost $30 million.

It aims to draw thousands of international soccer fans who are expected to travel to South Africa to attend the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be played between June 11 and July 11.

This will be the first time the world’s premier football tournament would be hosted by Africa.

Muslims make up to 1.5% of South Africa’s 44-million population. Cape Town alone is home to nearly half a million Muslims of diverse Asian origins.

Halal Industry

“Our hotel will certainly make history as the first halal hotel in Cape Town,” Cindy Valentine, the hotel’s Public Relations Officer, told IOL.

She said their “dry hotel” targets corporate markets and Middle Eastern visitors, offering them luxurious rooms, conferencing and prayer facilities.

The hotel also has three halal restaurants offering a range of cuisines from modern European to Arabic and African dishes.

But no alcohol is served on the hotel premises.

The Dubai-based Coral Hotels & Resorts was the first hotel management company in the Middle East to offer an alcohol-free environment in all its hotels.

“Our philosophy is to ensure a safer surrounding for our clients and as we continue to break through new markets, we stay committed to our core values of honesty, integrity and respect for local culture and people,” said Valentine.

“We ensure the highest standards of Arabic hospitality and world-class services.”

The halal industry is steadily growing in South Africa where Muslims make up some 1.5 percent of the country’s 49 million-strong population.

Muslims have halal bodies that certify almost every product manufactured in the country. This has enabled Muslims to consume halal products.

Some of the country’s major banks offer Muslims Shari`ah-complaint banking facilities.

Muslims have also established their own Islamic banks and insurance companies.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *