Dubai named number one shopping destination for Muslim travellers

Sharjah also comes high up in the study by MasterCard and CrescentRating.

Shoppers peruse the goods at Dubai Mall. Reem Mohammed / The National
Powered by automated translation

Dubai is the number one shopping destination for Muslim travellers, according to a new study.

The Muslim Travel Shopping Index 2015, which was complied by MasterCard and the halal travel researcher CrescentRating, also included Sharjah in 12th place. Dubai was followed by Kuala Lumpur in second place.

The study was based on the performance of 40 main international shopping destinations against criteria including a city’s suitability as a shopping destination, its Muslim-friendly services and facilities, and its ease of travel and family friendliness.

“Earlier this year, Dubai was ranked among the top five most popular destination cities in the world in MasterCard’s 2015 Global Destination Cities Index and has consistently advanced its position since the annual index first launched in 2012,” said Raghu Malhotra, MasterCard’s division president, Middle East and North Africa. “This further underlines the city’s dynamism and enduring positive reputation among international travellers.”

The State of The Global Islamic Economy report developed by Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre yesterday ranked the UAE second in its top Islamic economies in the world.

It received strong scores in halal food, Islamic finance and travel.

“Several initiatives under-taken by the Government to promote and develop the Islamic economy combined with one of the safest destinations in the Middle East makes the UAE a prominent hub in the Islamic economy,” the report said.

business@thenational.ae

Follow The National's Business section on Twitter