Rehlat picks top 3 summer getaways for KSA

Rehlat, an online travel agency in MENA, has chosen an oasis, a mountain range and a valley of roses as KSA's top summer getaways.

The oasis: Al Ahsa

Source: Rehlat blog post with travel inspirations for a day in Al Ahsa.

Al Ahsa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Guinness World record holder as the largest self-contained oasis in the world. The area hosts Jawatha Mosque, a mosque dating back 1,400 years, and Qasr Ibrahim - an Ottoman era castle that is a mix of Islamic and military architecture. 

Adventure junkies can drive a 4x4 to Yellow Lake or hike Al Qarah mountain. Yellow Lake is known for its bird life including eagles, warblers and plovers, while Al Qarah mountain features canyons and caves. 

Another World Heritage Site is Souq Al Qaisariya, a 600-year-old souq that still sells spices, prayer beads, incense and luxury goods.

The mountain: Aseer

Home to Saudi's highest peak, Jabal Sawda which is over 3,000 m high, Aseer is 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the country, making it a hot favourite in summer. Aseer has multiple peaks to conquer. Besides Jabal Sawda, there are Jabal Thera and Tanomah. 

Visit Rijal Almaa - the gingerbread village - or Al Muftaha village, which is dotted with murals, painted homes, and mosque calligraphy. 

Aseer is also where you'll find the Flower Men, who keep the ancient tradition of weaving decorative headgear with herbs, flowers and leaves alive.

The valley: Taif

Taif, also known as the city of roses, is unofficially the summer capital of KSA thanks to its pleasant climate, fragrant roses, sweeping valleys, the abundant fruits. Trek up the Al Hada mountains and zip-line across the Sarawat Mountain range. Visit the Saiysad National Park, or sample pomegranates, grapes, and figs at the source. A visit to the rose gardens is a must, as is buying rose oil on-site.

Explore

Use the booking code SAUDI to take advantage of Rehlat's special flight offer to save up to US$25 on flights to the kingdom. Get up to 12% off on hotels in KSA with the code STAY12.

SHUKR introduces summer collection

SHUKR Islamic Clothing, a producer of modest and Islamic clothing for Muslims, has recently announced its summer collection, which displays the beauty of Islam in different seasons.

Source: SHUKR International edition website. Summer dresses.

SHUKR serves people of all religions who find that their faith encourages them to dress modestly, without having to sacrifice style and beauty. Over the years, the brand has attracted a loyal customer base of people searching for long sleeved shirts, long dresses, abayas, skirts and wide leg jeans—which can be difficult to find in mainstream clothing stores. "We’re very proud to be an Islamic clothing provider, and it is our hope that our customers will be proud to be dressed Islamically as well,” said Anas Sillwood, Managing Partner of SHUKR. 

In addition to a summer collection, SHUKR also provides different collections throughout the year – spring, fall, winter and Ramadan/Eid (holiday) included. Said Sillwood: "It’s a perfect way to help distinguish ourselves from competition and brand ourselves as a religious Islamic brand with a contemporary, relevant, and sophisticated air.”

Interested?

SHUKR's e-commerce store serves its customers through its three regional websites, for the US, UK, and the rest of the world (international). The Summer/Eid catalogue can be requested through the home page

More than 100 students participate in Dubai Islamic Bank's first Iktaseb summer training programme

Source: Dubai Islamic Bank.

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), the largest Islamic bank in the UAE, has inaugurated its annual Iktaseb summer training programme for young UAE nationals. The initiative is designed to train a new generation of banking professionals and support the country’s Emiratisation initiative by contributing to the development of the local community.

Iktaseb participants are introduced to the various concepts and principles surrounding shari'ah-compliant financial services, culminating in practical training in the day-to-day operations of a modern Islamic bank. Students completed two courses, Foundation and Principles of Islamic Finance which introduced them to the world of Islamic banking and finance, and Youth Empowerment, which focused on building self-motivation and accepting personal responsibility. 

Maryam Abdulla Ali, Manager-Talent Management, at Dubai Islamic Bank said: “DIB has always been a strong advocate of contributing to the local community by providing valuable training and practical work experience opportunities for UAE nationals. The Iktaseb programme is one component of our multi-faceted strategy that has been successful in creating a new generation of individuals interested in the Islamic banking industry. We are proud to continue training a new group of promising young students, as we look forward to building upon our extensive community engagement and enrichment efforts.”

In addition to gaining valuable insight and experience in the industry, graduates will receive a programme completion certificate and given priority in the bank’s future recruitment efforts. “Our programme provides these students the perfect platform to enhance their capabilities and launch a successful career in the industry,” noted Maryam.

Participating in the initiative for a second year running, AlAnoud Asaad Mohammad, said: “I would like to thank DIB for offering me the opportunity to receive this specialised training. A key challenge for any fresh university graduate is the practical skills and the theoretical knowledge required to start his/her career. Especially in today’s competitive market, a well-rounded education requires a good understanding of the basic skills currently demanded in the workplace. In this regard, the Iktaseb programme is an invaluable platform, as it will allow me to enhance my understanding of the Islamic banking industry, while increasing my knowledge of shari'ah-compliant products. Upon graduating, I look forward to an opportunity to join DIB and contribute to its ongoing growth.”

DIB has also created a range of comprehensive training programs across different levels of the bank. For the objective of engaging with the local job seekers, DIB has actively participated at the various career fairs across the country. 

HMH hotels feature an Eid/summer promotion till September 21

HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings has rolled out an Eid/summer promotion* in which guests enjoy 10% off on the bed and breakfast rate as well as a gift voucher for each day of the stay. The voucher can be redeemed at any of the hotel’s restaurants or at the spa. The promotion will run until September 21, 2015.

HMH CEO Laurent Voivenel said the company has a presence in 15 cities across MENA. “Eid al Fitr is one of the most joyous and biggest celebrations in the Arab world. We want to make it truly special for our guests by ensuring a memorable experience at an exceptional rate. Over 70% of our room inventory has been sold out well in advance given the massive demand from Saudi Arabia and the rest of GCC. We are a market leader in the halal-friendly hospitality segment in the Middle East offering our customers a safe, family environment with the most authentic Arabic hospitality. Our diverse and distinctive collection of hotels enjoys outstanding locations in the most sought-after destinations."

Interested?

View the list of participating hotels 

*Bookings for the Eid and summer offer are non-refundable. Standard terms and conditions apply.

Patricia Rox brings its handcrafted luxury womenswear and accessories to Asia

Patricia Rox, the luxury womenswear brand that debuted in Europe in 2013, has set foot in Asia through the official launch of its brand and its Spring/Summer 2015 The  Fantasy Capsule in Singapore.

The luxury womenswear company creates globally inspired, traditionally handcrafted pieces. With exotic, intricate prints and bright, bold colours at the forefront of its designs, Patricia Rox brings one-of-a-kind ready-to-wear and accessories to discerning, sophisticated women. 

The latest Spring/Summer The Fantasy Capsule of silk dresses with floral-inspired prints; vibrant, circus-inspired scarves; as well as buffalo horn and enamel jewellery transports the Patricia Rox woman back to her whimsical childhood fantasies. The collection is luxurious yet effortlessly chic, and is versatile enough for a resort, travelling or attending a soiree. 

Patricia Rox is the brainchild of fashion lawyer Patricia Haywood. Gathering inspiration from her love of travel, Patricia has created a brand that brings together traditional techniques and modern ideas to create unique, handmade pieces, and a brand with a mission to make well-crafted pieces available to women everywhere. 

"At Patricia Rox, we go to great lengths to bring women unique and well-made clothing and accessories. Our vision is to bring together some of the most creative people from different regions to create something special, and to make the art of traditional craftsmanship accessible to women worldwide," says Haywood, Founder and Creative Director, Patricia Rox. 

Every piece of ready-to-wear, jewellery and scarf is handcrafted by skilled and passionate craftspeople. Patricia Rox works with artisans who are the best at their craft and who are skilled at preserving the integrity of the materials used in each piece created. 

Each print is painstakingly hand-drawn by one artist, with some prints taking 200-300 hours to complete. These one-of-a-kind prints are viewed as works of art. This traditional technique translates to smaller runs and limited editions of each design and ensures that each and every piece will be unique and exquisitely crafted. 

With a mission to find the best natural materials like silk, cotton, linen, horn, enamel and pearl from around the world to create unique pieces that are just as unique as the Patricia Rox woman, all materials are ethically and sustainably sourced from only the best suppliers from the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. 

Currently, the collection of Patricia Rox scarves is available online at www.gnossem.com, a Singapore based online shopping site for unique and quality fashion from top, independent designers. Outside of Singapore, Patricia Rox is available in Asia at Aman Resorts in Bali, and www.shopzaozao.com in Hong Kong. 

An e-commerce site and physical flagship store are in the works.

*All images from Patricia Rox.

Mobile-based searches for Eid have grown from 2012 to 2014

An overview of summer (Editor's note: roughly June to August) rituals in Asia by Google has seen a large rise in mobile searches about Eid this year compared to last year. 

According to an August 7 blog post by Dušan Farrington, Communications Manager, Google Asia Pacific, mobile searches around 'Eid' in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore went up substantially from January to June. It appears that roughly 15% of searches for 'Eid' in June 2014 were from mobile phones whereas more than 25% of the searches by June 2014 were mobile-based. The figures as provided do not indicate how many searches were made, or if more searches were made in 2014 compared to 2013.

Ramadhan began in late June and Eid Al-Fitr 2014 was in late July so it is likely that the figures would continue going up all the way to July, and then spike again in early October for Eid Al-Adha. The double spikes seen for 2012 and 2013 indicate when the two Eids occurred. Eid Al-Fitr 2013 was about August 7 while Eid Al-Adha 2013 was around mid-October. Eid Al-Fitr 2012 was around August 18 while Eid Al-Adha 2012 was around 24 October.  

Image source: Google Asia Pacific blog. Mobile Percentage of Eid-related
searches in Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore
Data source: Google Data, 2013–2014

*The Islamic calendar is based on the moon and moves a few days earlier every year.

*The formal start of a month may depend on whether the moon can be physically sighted, so different countries or areas would have months that start and end on different days. The difference would typically be no more than a day.

*There are two Eids every year, slightly over two Islamic months apart.