Muslim Pro app revamped ahead of Ramadhan

Muslim Pro app users now have two new features to help them prepare for Ramadhan: dhikr¹ (ذِكرْ) tracking and the audio-based Quran translations.

Muslim Pro users can now set daily dhikr goals and track them in the existing Tasbih² feature in the app. This new feature was requested by the community, the makers of the app Bitsmedia said. With accompanying audio, users can follow a dhikr recitation as they read.

To increase accessibility of the app for users in various markets, Muslim Pro now has integrated text-to-speech technology in its Quran feature. Users can now listen to the Quran translations in various languages. The translated audio is played right after the Arabic recitation of each verse. Around 70 translations are supported, with multiple translations for some languages. The phrase audio recitation is available will be listed below a translation for supported translations.

Zahariah Jupary, Muslim Pro’s Head of Community said: “Muslim Pro is about the ummah³ (أمة), and the uplifting of individuals to strengthen the community. This is the passion that motivates us to improve the Muslim Pro app continuously. 

Source: Muslim Pro website. The Muslim Pro app offers translations of the Quran in different languages.

"We want the new features to further ease and facilitate the practice of our community’s faith and religious duties, as the Quran translations’ audio will allow individuals to hear the Quran translations in any of the available languages in the app, while the dhikr tracking will encourage the ummah to increase their remembrance of Allah no matter where they are.”

The app, which is available on the Apple App Store (iOS), Google Play Store (Android) and KaiOS, features accurate prayer times, adhan⁴ (أَذَان), full audio Quran, a guide to halal restaurants and mosques, a qiblah⁵ (قبلة) compass, Islamic calendar, zakat⁶ (زكاة) calculation, Daily Inspirations, fasting and prayer tracker, virtual Hajj journey, popular Quranic verses and daily prayers.

Zahariah added that as part of Muslim Pro’s annual World Quran Month (WQM) during Ramadhan, Muslim Pro is also planning a global Quran reading event to encourage Muslims to read the Quran at their own pace. More details will be available in March.

According to the Muslim Pro website, over 103 million downloads of the app have occurred at the time of writing. The app works on the freemium model. Downloads are free, with the free version containing ads.

1 Dhikr means "remembrance, reminder" or "mention, utterance". They are Islamic devotional acts, in which phrases or prayers are repeated.

2 Tasbih (تَسْبِيح) are a set of 33, 66, or 99 prayer beads used by Muslims as a counting aid in reciting the 99 names of Allah, and in meditation.

3 Ummah: An Arabic word meaning "community”, typically referring to all Muslims.

4 Adhan: the call to prayer.

5 Qiblah: the direction towards the Ka'abah in Makkah, KSA.

6 Zakat: A form of alms-giving that is a religious obligation.

Sajdah app offers prayer times and guides

Source: Thakaa Technologies. Screenshots of the Sajdah app.

Thakaa Technologies has launched the Sajdah mobile app, which offers prayer times and guides for over 14 prayers, with more features available in due course. The app offers an ad-free experience and does not sell user data with third parties.

To coincide with the launch, Thakaa Technologies is hosting an Islamic quiz competition, offering a prize of up to US$500 for lucky winners.

Qatar-based Thakaa Technologies is also the startup behind the world's first smart prayer rug.

Sajdah is also developing a Smart Prayer Rug to help create an even more fulfilling prayer experience, which will be rolled out in the coming months.

Abdulrahman Saleh Khamis, Co-founder, and CEO of Sajdah said: "We developed the Sajdah mobile app for an ad-free experience with a promise to not sell customer data without their permission. It's the perfect digital companion for keeping up with prayers, with more than 14 different prayer instructions, a qiblah direction, and accurate prayer times available at the touch of a few buttons. As we enter the holy month, we plan to introduce even more benefits to take it to the next level."

Abdul Ali, Co-Founder, and Chief Growth Officer added: "Based on customer feedback and insights, we have developed a user-friendly app that connects with the Sajdah Smart Prayer Rug."

Some of the key features of Sajdah include:

- Accurate prayer times: Offers accurate prayer times wherever users are located

- Prayer support: Features more than 14 different prayer instructions, along with the Hijri date on the home screen

- Customisability: Users can choose the sound to be played for adhan

- Data privacy: Sajdah does not feature advertising and never sells user data.

Details:

Download the app at getsajdah.com. The app is free to download and use via the Apple Store and Google Play.

Appsflyer shares insights for Ramadhan marketing for 2019

- Shopping apps revenue growth changes considerably before, within and after Ramadhan

- Travel apps lead in revenue growth trends

- App purchases peak in the early hours of the morning and during lunch time

AppsFlyer, the mobile attribution and marketing analytics provider, has released its first-ever app market insights report around the month of Ramadhan.

Source: Appsflyer report cover.

According to AppsFlyer, mobile marketers must secure a better understanding of the context and activity for each time in the day, as well as periodic user behaviour unique to this period. This includes app usage habits, the frequency of social shares and aspirational festive purchases to plan when ad spends could potentially be most effective.

AppsFlyer's technology is found on 98% of the world's smartphones. The report analysed mobile app usage behaviour by consumers across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore between 2016 to 2018. The data covers a total of 220 million installs and 100 million purchases across apps in entertainment, finance, gaming, maps and navigation, shopping, social, travel, from the period before Ramadhan to two weeks after it ends.

Findings from the study include:

Indonesia leads in app install growth rates across verticals

While all three countries in the survey registered material increases in average installs per app in both 2017 and 2018, Indonesia generated an almost 20% year-over-year uplift in app installs for 2018. Besides the country’s strong economic growth in 2018, smartphone penetration has been steadily on the rise, growing from 24% in 2017 to 26% in 2018.

Shopping apps revenue growth changes considerably before, within and after Ramadhan

In 2017 and 2018, shopping apps saw growth in pre-Ramadhan week revenue, with growth rates of 76% and 55% respectively. We see sharp drops in this metric the week immediately following, displaying fluctuations from period start to end.

Travel apps lead in revenue growth trends

Travel apps register the most consistent Ramadhan period growth over the years. This vertical also displays the strongest revenue growth rate, together with social and messaging apps.

Shopping and casual gaming apps show the best retention rates

Advertisers from casual gaming and shopping apps hold the crown for highest non-organic user retention rates (3.6% and 3.8% respectively) during the Ramadhan period, with shopping apps also experiencing high retention rates for organic users (4.1%) at day 30. Ramadhan typically lasts 29 to 30 days, depending on when the new moon for the next month is sighted.

App purchases peak in the early hours of the morning and during lunch time

Shopping app purchases skyrocket during Ramadhan throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. This boost is particularly pronounced from midnight up until 5-6 am in the morning. The hours before the dawn prayer, in particular, see marked increases of up to 526% in shopping purchases in Indonesia. Also, this activity peaks at 45% higher than pre-Ramadhan periods in Indonesia in the lunchtime hours between 11am to 2pm.

QuikHalal promises to make halal auditing easier

Malaysia Commercialisation Year (MCY) Award winners have been announced for 2018. The Malaysia Commercialisation Year Award, which the Malaysia Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate Change (MESTECC) introduced in 2016, is aimed at recognising, appreciating and motivating local R&D talents to penetrate local and international markets.

This year, MESTECC assessed 212 products in terms of technological and commercial readiness and arrived at 27 finalists who had to pitch their products to a panel of judges. There are 10 winners for the MCY Award 2018, a main winner and a consolation winner for each of five categories.

The QuikHalal app from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) was the consolation winner for the Research Entrepreneur Award. This award recognises an entrepreneurial researcher who has made outstanding contributions to business innovation or has created innovative businesses in Malaysia through technology licensing, startup creation or by providing expertise to support business innovation.

Source: MESTECC. The QuikHalal logo.

QuikHalal is a halal auditing application that reduces the complexity, time and cost of halal auditing processes. The app can capture photos from mobile devices and automatically generate halal compliance reports. The estimated commercialisation value of this product for 2018 is RM100,900.

As of 2018, the app has 25 local users. UTM plans to further develop the app to support countries with Islamic-friendly hospitality industries like Thailand, Korea, Japan and Indonesia.

As a consolation winner, UTM receives RM50,000, half in cash and the rest in facilitation services such as: 

• Design including physical design and packaging

• Accreditation, certification, a technology audit and market research

• Incubation including mentoring

• Advisory services related to product development, financial management and intellectual property; and

• Participation in local and foreign exhibitions.

MCY was first initiated in 2016. As of August 2018, 303 products have been successfully commercialised, accounting for sales turnover of RM290.88 million. The main target of MCY is to boost research, development and innovation (R, D & I) results from local research institutions as wealth generator through commercialisation process. MCY is also a platform to raise awareness of stakeholders and the people about the potential of innovation and commercialisation in raising the nation's revenue.

As part of the MCY Special KPIs, research institutes, universities and related technology development agencies have collectively pledged to commercialise up to 360 products/technologies from various categories by the year 2020.

They are supported by the Second Wave of MCY 2.0 (2017-2019), which focuses on:

- Strengthening the commercialisation ecosystem;

- Expanding cooperation with strategic partners from industry, states and international government; and

- Expanding markets for local research, development, commercialisation and innovation (R, D, C & I) regionally and internationally.

Flynas app downloaded over 2 million times

Flynas, the Saudi carrier and low-cost airline in the Middle East, has reached a milestone of more than 2 million downloads for its mobile app. The airline is offering a discount of 10% on domestic flights in celebration.

According to the airline, KSA has the largest number of flynas app users. The app is most widely used by young people.

Mousa Bahri, VP of Marketing & Corporate Communications, said that flynas attaches great importance to the digital aspect, focusing on an attractive interface and distinct booking processes through the flynas application. Users can enjoy special offers and discounts if they book via the app. 

Flynas has a fleet of 30 Airbus A320 aircraft, and operates over 1,100 flights weekly to 17 domestic destinations and 53 international destinations.

Meembar makes it easier to locate halal venues when travelling

Source: Meembar websie. Screen capture of the app.

Meembar (منبر), which means 'raised platform' in Arabic and is also the name for the pulpit where the imam delivers khutbahs within a mosque, is an all-in-one app for Muslim travel.

From DagangAsia Net, it is designed to show halal venues which are nearby in an unfamiliar environment, including venues like dining places, mosques and prayer areas, as well as accommodation.

The app includes venues with verified halal certification status from global halal certification bodies including JAKIM. Users may suggest new halal venues, review existing venues, and share information on social media platforms.

Details:

Download the app

Maisarah Islamic Banking Services introduces mobile banking app

Maisarah Islamic Banking Services has launched a mobile banking app for retail banking customers, with English and Arabic support.

Ismail Jama Ismail Bait Ishaq, COO of Maisarah Islamic Banking Services said, “In a fast-paced and evolving digital world, customers enjoy the convenience of literally having a bank branch on their phone. This new mobile banking application with many user-friendly features is certain to delight our customers. At Maisarah we are always keen to deliver state-of-the-art products and services to our clients. By investing in technology, we make it easier for our clients to do business with us in an inventive way.”

The app enables customers to view their balance and transactions, as well as request a new cheque book. They can also specify a quantity of cheque books and the point of collection. Customers can also benefit from cardless cash through Maisarah ATMs by making a request for the cash through the app and creating a four-digit cash code.

Customers can execute mobile top-ups for any mobile service provider in Oman, and pay utility bills*. They can further use the app to get adhan timings, the qiblah direction, exchange rates, deposit rates, mudarabah weightages, offers and other information.

Customers can also transfer funds from their accounts to other accounts in Maisarah, as well as to a valid account number in another local bank in Oman. They can even transfer funds to a valid ATM card number of another local bank within Oman.

“Maisarah’s mobile banking app is simple, secure and efficient, and offers our customers 24x7 convenient banking experience. We will continue to offer new banking and value-added services to our mobile channel. Our aim is to offer our customers banking and value added services,” Maisarah Islamic Banking Services' Jamsheed Hmaza, Head of Retail said.

As part of its future growth plan, Maisarah plans to distinguish itself by providing outstanding customer service, developing and launching new products, investing in technology to provide the best customer experience in timely and convenient manner. Maisarah is committed to leading the Islamic banking sector by building up resources, sharing expertise and following best international practices in the market.

Maisarah Islamic Banking Services has 10 branches across the country including in Azaiba, Al Hail, Salalah, Sohar, Birkat Al Mouz, Greater Muttrah, Al Khuwair, Sur, New Salalah and Araqi. It offers a shari'ah-compliant products and services for retail and corporate customers via a network of branches, ATM and cash deposit machine facilities.

*Water and electricity at ONEC/OIFC, bills for mobile, landline, and Internet for Omantel and Ooredoo. 

Alizz Islamic Bank launches revamped mobile app for Internet banking

Source: Alizz Islamic Bank. The app.

Alizz Islamic Bank has launched a newly-redesigned mobile banking app and Internet banking platform in line with its expanding role as a leader of customer experience in Oman. The bank was the first full-fledged Islamic bank to offer a mobile banking app in Oman.

The bilingual app is available for both Android and iOS devices and features advanced security capabilities as well as a self-registration system. Users can use a QR code to log in to web banking, funds transfers, utility bill payments and other transactions. The app is 3D Touch-enabled* and is the first mobile banking app in Oman to offer in app notifications for new transactions, and payment reminders.

Sadiq Al Lawati, Head of Digital and Card Business, Alizz Islamic Bank said, "At Alizz Islamic Bank our key focus is to provide the very best digital banking experience for our customers, whenever and wherever our customers need. Throughout the bank's history we have been at the forefront of digital banking in Oman and we are delighted to further reinforce this with the multitude of useful features offered to our customers via the Alizz mobile banking app and Internet banking platforms, which are available in both Arabic and English."

Source: Alizz Islamic Bank. Al Jadidi.

Moosa Al Jadidi, COO, Alizz Islamic Bank said the new mobile banking application and Internet banking platform reflect the exceptional customer experience and high standards that the bank strives to deliver every day.

"These platforms enhance our strong relationship with our customers and take our excellence in customer service to a whole new level. With an increasingly young population in Oman who prefer more technologically advanced banking solutions, our wide range of cutting edge digital banking solutions enable our customers to benefit from more convenient and secure self-service channels, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," he said.

*3D Touch is pressure-sensitive touch technology found in iOS devices.

Drivers invited to offer a ride to taraweeh with Terawhere

Source: Terawhere website.

The Terawhere movement in Singapore aims to save everyone's time and energy by offering people a ride to teraweeh prayers. Terawhere is a free carpooling app that helps users connect and share transport to teraweeh locations. There is no commitment needed; drivers can offer rides on their terms, as they wish. The initiative is supported by the Touch of Ramadan Campaign Committee and mosques in Singapore.

Interested?

Contact Terawhere to sign up as a Terawhere driver

Hashtags: #communityofrahmah, #terawhere, #terawih, #msociety

Pergas uses mobile app for recycling, fund-raising

Pergas, the Singapore Islamic scholars and religious teachers association,  is helping waste management efforts in Singapore with the Recycle@PERGAS app, which allows consumers to have their recyclables collected on demand.

Provided by the Sapphiro Group, the app supports the four official languages and allows home owners to book a collection time for recyclables within working hours, which are Monday to Saturday, between 9am and 5pm, islandwide.

Pergas is also using the app for the collection of used items for fund-raising. These will be collected by volunteers from Buana Trading wearing white Pergas t-shirts carrying the logo on the left part of the chest, and the word 'VOLUNTEER' at the back.

Interested?

Download the app from the App store or Google Play

Call +65 8262 3555 with enquiries about the volunteer initiative.

KSA Ministry of Haj & Umra launches Haj Bracelets Reader app

Source: Android Play.

The KSA Ministry of Haj & Umra has launched a bracelet reader application for the e-bracelets of both foreign and domestic pilgrims.

To be used by representatives of authorised agencies of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, the app is expected to facilitate the identification of Hajj pilgrims, and provide them with help in context.

The application will also help those who are lost and provide relevant information to the agencies looking after them.



Feedback has generally been positive, though some reviews note that the scanner is not working on selected smartphones.

Interested?

Download the app for iOS or Android
‪

Dubai Islamic Bank upgrades mobile banking app

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), the largest Islamic bank in the UAE, has upgraded its mobile banking app for the iOS and Android platforms. The enhanced offering provides access to over 60 services and has features that help users manage their personal finances.

Smartphone penetration rates have been rising rapidly, with Nielsen indicating that 78% of the UAE population owns at least one of these devices. Customers using the DIB Mobile app can enjoy a consolidated view of all accounts; pay utility bills; and withdraw cash without a card. Other features include status reminders to help them keep track of saving goals, as well as ensuring that spending remains within a planned budget. 

Musabbah Al Qaizi, Head of Electronic Banking Services & IT at Dubai Islamic Bank, said: “Over the past few years, mobile banking has evolved at a rapid pace to the point that it is now a regular feature in the lives of a majority of people. As we recognised that our customers are increasingly looking for access to a host of comprehensive facilities so that they can carry out their banking on-the-go, we carefully analysed these needs and invested in building a multifaceted platform that delivers a convenient and secure experience.

He added: “In addition to embedding financial planning tools that will help our customers manage their savings more effectively, our new mobile app offers many other useful and unique features like instant chat, currency converters, customised offers and interactive navigation to easily locate our branches/ ATMs. Moving ahead, we will continue to innovate and introduce new services and features to enhance our digital banking platforms and customer experience in line with the overall innovation and smart banking strategy of the bank.”

Interested?

Download the app 

Bank Negara Malaysia makes it easy to contact Islamic finance companies

Bank Negara Malaysia has introduced a mobile app that connects consumers and financial service providers in Malaysia.

BNM MyLINK provides a directory of conventional and Islamic banking, insurance and takaful companies as well as SMEs which allow users to make enquiries, obtain advice and address their complaints.

Interested?

The app is available in both Bahasa Malaysia and English, and can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

ShadeScout Nails matches nail polish colours with pictures

Source: iTunes.

FaceCake Marketing Technologies, creator of the visual search mobile beauty app, ShadeScout, has launched ShadeScout Nails. Now available as a free download on the App Store, ShadeScout Nails combines FaceCake's proprietary colour search technology, which matches beauty products to any colour a user sees, with ShadeScout's easy-to-use format to create a unique mobile shopping experience for lacquer lovers.

"FaceCake's personalised platform makes it easy for shoppers to find exactly what they're looking for and our ShadeScout apps are a perfect example of that," said Linda Smith, Founder and CEO of FaceCake. "Users have connected with ShadeScout's visual search and product discovery, while brands have a unique forum to reach new consumers who might not be familiar with their products. ShadeScout Nails lets the user direct their own shopping experience, providing instant product matches and purchase options in the palm of their hand."

The colour-inspired ShadeScout Nails app gives consumers the ability to easily search for nail shades by drawing inspiration from objects they see, whether it's a dress on a magazine cover or a buzzworthy shade. Shoppers can "scout" a desired colour with the camera on their mobile device and instantly receive nail polishes that match. Featuring polish from more than 25 major and boutique nail brands including vegan prestige brand Londontown*, ShadeScout Nails helps users discover new looks in a rapidly evolving space.

In addition to finding corresponding nail shades without needing any product information, users can visualise different polish finishes and special effects, share snapshots with friends via social media, and purchase lacquers directly from the app. Additional features are unlocked for users who also download ShadeScout. Users can "scout" the same colour across both apps, which makes finding nail polish to match your lipstick, blush, eye shadow, brows and foundation.

Interested?

Download ShadeScout Nails for iOS on the App Store. Asian languages supported include Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Turkish.

• 
  

*Londontown is available at www.luxola.com

Learn Arabic with the Langu.ag app

Source: Play
Store.

The Eton Institute has introduced the Langu.ag language learning mobile app for iOS and Android.

The app supports over 50 languages, including Arabic, and allows words to be scanned, spoken or typed in for translation. Users can also join a language chat room and interact with people from around the world to practice their language skills.

Interested?

Download the app

Halal Navi adds prayer room location feature to app

Source: Halal Navi website.

Halal Navi has added a prayer room location feature for the iOS version of its mobile app.

The updated Halal Navi app allows users to search for mosques and prayer rooms by proximity, and also via keyword searches. Comments and pictures of mosques are supported.

The company is now working on adding the same feature to the Android version of the app. 

Interested?

Download the iOS app

Ask for vegetarian food in 50 languages

Source: Veggoagogo page
on the Play Store.

Helsinki-based Agogo Apps has launched Veggoagogo, a 50-language travel translation app for vegetarians* that is available on both the iOS and Android platforms. The app is the first of a number of travel translation apps designed to use the same application architecture, Agogo Apps said.

Besides defining what a vegetarian is, Veggoagogo addresses many of the needs that the travelling vegetarian faces on a daily basis, from locating a restaurant that serves vegetarian fare, to choosing suitable items from the menu, down to thanking the chef, waiter, concierge, market-stall holder or friendly local.


The app can be used without Internet connectivity. The user chooses a question from a list, then selects from one of 50 languages available before tapping the translate button and being presented with their translation. The translation screen text has been optimised to be displayed at distance. It can be flicked between night and day modes for ease of reading in all lighting conditions.

Source: Veggoagogo page on the Play Store. Explaining what a vegetarian does not eat, and asking for dishes which have no meat, in Spanish.

Illustrator Cat MacInnnes created a range of animal icons that add to the usability of the app. Users can tap the animal icons atop the translation screen and be presented with full screen versions which can be swiped and used as a visual backup to the translated message. 

Said Paul Dodson, founder of Agogo Apps: "Often when travelling abroad it's hard to get across exactly what a vegetarian will and will not eat. In many countries it's a loosely defined concept where vegetarian dishes may still include fish or seafood. With Veggoagogo we aimed to do two things: one, to define very clearly what a vegetarian won't eat and two, to offer a range of questions that travelling vegetarians face on a daily basis. In version 1 of Veggoagogo, we do this in 50 languages.

"Veggoagogo has been designed with simplicity and usability in mind. The interface is uncluttered and hopefully, aesthetically pleasing. All of our translations have been professionally completed by native language speakers."

Veganagogo, a vegan version of the app is due on the market in June 2015.

Interested?

Download the app on iTunes
Download the app on Google Play

*As this app is for vegetarians, it is unlikely to help with asking for food that has been prepared without alcohol.

Halalminds extending app to other Asian markets

Halalminds is the company behind a mobile app of the same name that helps identify halal products. The app has received about 6,000 downloads to date, and has a rating of 4.4 stars out of five at the Android Play store.

Source: Play store.

Japan-based Agung Pambudi, Founder of Halalminds, explains that Muslims who who travel to non-Muslim destinations often find it difficult to find halal products, especially where halal certification is rare. 

"In Muslim countries, for example Indonesia, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia, it is easy to find halal products since the certification information is available. However in countries like Japan, mainland China, or South Korea, almost all of the products lack certification. Checking the ingredients of the product is only the way to know if the products are halal," he said.

While many associate food and drink with halal certification, Pambudi says that travellers are also looking for halal medicine and cosmetics. HalalMinds created the app for such challenges. 

"The app has a huge database of information about products, including a list of the 'E' numbers used by food labellers in Europe. Once the barcode of the product is scanned, HalalMinds can show the ingredients, translated into
the user's language of choice, and advises if the products are halal," Pambudi explained. 

Source: Halalminds. The company won a JohnnyTiC award in the Youth Pre-Start-up category at Global TiC 2014 in Taiwan. Pambudi is on the right.

The app also includes directories for locating halal restaurants, markets as well as mosques around the world; the Quran in 17 languages, and features around prayers and supplications.

While Halalminds first began as an app for travellers to Japan, Pambudi is now looking beyond its shores. "Our target market is now the world," he said.

Funding is holding the company back, but support for Korea and Taiwan are on the list. New features planned include contributions from users and support for social networks.

The app can be downloaded for Android here, and for iOS here.

Eton Institute launches app for Ramadhan targeting both locals and expats

Source: Eton Institute website.

Eton Institute's new Ramadan App for iOS has been designed to guide both local and expat communities through the month.

The app contains information for those observing the fast such as prayer and iftar timings, qibla direction, a mosque locator and healthy tips to consider while fasting. For people who are experiencing Ramadhan for the first time in the Middle East, this resourceful app also includes cultural tips, Arabic phrases, a glossary of terms as well as do's and don'ts specific to the month.

"As a company founded and headquartered in the UAE, the Eton Institute Ramadan app is our way of giving back to the community during this very special time and supporting the vision of connecting minds and building cultural bridges," commented Hana Fuchs, Marketing Director at Eton Institute.

Ramadhan is also known as the month of giving and sharing. As part of Eton Institute's Summer For Change campaign, the Ramadan App connects users to more information about this initiative, which includes local charitable activities and online donations to three international organisations.

Eton Institute also offers phrasebook apps in over 40 different languages here, some of which are free.

KFH focusing on mobile app development in quest to be the best

Kuwait Finance House (KFH) is keen to develop and upgrade its applications on smartphones and the Internet. The bank wants to launch new applications that show the bank’s technical leadership, it said in a statement.

KFH has a number of apps online. On the Android store, the company has a trading app from subsidiary Muthanna Investment called KFHtrade and KFH Online for online transactions.

A refreshed Quran app for Android is expected to see more users on a daily basis, said Saeed Tawfiqi, Public Relations and Media Executive Manager, KFH. As of mid-April, the app had seen a combined 2.5 million downloads on the Android and iOS platforms, with 3,000 active daily users on iPhones and another 600 on Android devices. 

The updated app, which has a rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 at the Android App Store, now includes audio recitations by 12 of the best reciters in the Arab world, explanations, and the highlighting of searched words in different colours. The display font has also been changed for clarity and the app has been refined to fit a range of screen sizes. It can be downloaded here.

The KFH Group offers a wide array of Islamic products and services, and has a presence in the GCC, Asia, and Europe.