About Suroor Asia
Blog Background & Profile 2024
"Suroor" (سرور) means "happiness"* in Arabic, and has similar meanings in Hindi and Urdu. Suroor Asia covers the Asia Pacific & Middle East (APME) regions when it comes to the Islamic economy, an aspect of the commercial world that doesn't get that much exposure, but which nevertheless commands a large and growing portion of the revenues.
Suroor Asia covers news, trends, products and services that impact the Islamic economy in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Central Asia is occasionally featured.
Market segments within the Islamic economy include:
Developmental projects and charity outreaches are also part of this world view, while history and culture provide a better understanding of what the economy is about today. I also include headphones, shavers, honey, coffee, tea and fragrances on this blog.
It does however not feature businesses just because they are run by Muslims, but because that business, product or service has a bearing on an aspect of the Islamic economy that is unlikely to appear in other economies.
As resources are limited this blog is not likely to be first with the news, nor can it provide a comprehensive overview. Editorially Suroor Asia provides a perspective of the economy through a personal curation of news items.
- Art
- Education, including that for the Arabic language
- Fashion
- Finance
- Food & drink
- Healthcare & bodycare
- Media & recreation
- Standards & certification
- Technology
- Travel & tourism, both for leisure and business (MICE)
Developmental projects and charity outreaches are also part of this world view, while history and culture provide a better understanding of what the economy is about today. I also include headphones, shavers, honey, coffee, tea and fragrances on this blog.
It does however not feature businesses just because they are run by Muslims, but because that business, product or service has a bearing on an aspect of the Islamic economy that is unlikely to appear in other economies.
As resources are limited this blog is not likely to be first with the news, nor can it provide a comprehensive overview. Editorially Suroor Asia provides a perspective of the economy through a personal curation of news items.
Target audience
This blog builds awareness on the Islamic economy for all who may have an interest in it, whether as a supplier or as a consumer. Demands can differ significantly from geography to geography, or within a geography, but there are constants such as the need for halal food, the practice of fasting during the month of Ramadhan, and the obligation to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime.
I can provide some general numbers from Google Analytics (please ask).
Frequency
This Singapore-based blog is updated at least once a fortnight. Mondays are the best days to visit, though there are often additions over the week.
Amplification
Blog posts from Suroor Asia are occasionally referenced in sister blog WorkSmart Asia.
Suroor Asia has its own Facebook page.
Editorial calendar
Seasonal content I would be interested in would be for events and promotions around Mother's Day, Ramadhan, Eid (Hari Raya) and the Hajj.
Mother's Day
Focus: Related events and promotions, gifts
Request for information: A month before Mother's Day. Mother's Day is celebrated on different days in different countries; the information is of interest so long as that country is in the Asia Pacific or Middle East region
Deadline: Two weeks before Mother's Day
Ramadhan/Eid al Fitr
Focus: Health tips, promotions for beauty, fashion, food, travel, home decor etc, events, charity drives, meals, Eid gifts
Request for information: A month before Ramadhan begins
Deadline: Two weeks before Eid begins
Target publication date: from three weeks ahead of the 1st day of Ramadhan
Hajj/Eid al Adha
Focus: Health & logistics tips, events, charity drives, meals
Request for information: A month before Hajj begins
Deadline: Two weeks before Eid begins
Target publication date: from three weeks ahead of the 1st day of Hajj
Business model
I do not work on the blog full-time as I have to pay my bills through other means. Content on the blog is free and comes from websites, press releases and event coverage. I don't do interviews or accept contributed content. There is no charge for appearances.
Rate card
I do not have a formal media kit or rate card as coverage is basically free.
What I can do
Do email press releases to me for consideration. There may be more Singapore-based content as I am based in Singapore but content from anywhere else in Asia, the Pacific or the Middle East is welcome. I visit the wires and the newsrooms of various companies on occasion as well.
I may cover events in person in Singapore outside of work hours, but don't really do interviews or accept contributed content.
I typically get more press releases than I can feature, even if they are extremely relevant; it's a combination of relevance, timing, and whether I have the time to blog that determines whether something gets featured or not. Events that I cover in person do get priority but coverage again depends on relevance.
Press releases which are a week old or more are unlikely to be featured, though I sometimes queue posts for a future date. This is usually because there are too many posts about the same company or the same type of posts (surveys, case studies etc) are appearing in the same week. I may blog about mergers and acquisitions but typically not about financial results. Please note that posts may be updated with pictures and links etc after publication.
Blogger profile & contact
I've created tech and lifestyle content for journalism, public relations and content/digital marketing. I'm based in Singapore. Please email me at tangjoy (at) gmail (dot) com. I prefer to be contacted by WhatsApp (the WhatsApp contact is in my email signature).
Disclaimer & privacy
The author includes news, trends, goods, and services in this blog, sister blogs and associated social media accounts as information which may be of interest to others. It is assumed in good faith that the entities and/or advice mentioned relate to genuine organisations offering bona fide services that may be relevant to readers. Any conclusions made that lead to activities undertaken as a result of the information provided are at readers' own risk.
Blogger.com and Google Analytics do capture data about visitor behaviour. The data provides insights about viewership and the popularity of various blog posts. Any additional information requested, whether personally identifiable or otherwise, is not part of the blog structure and readers provide it at their own risk. This blog provides links to third parties. Any information requested by as a result of clicking on those links does not belong to this blog, and this blog should not be liable for any outcomes that occur as a result.
Reuse
If you would like to share my blog posts or quote from them, please include a link back to the blog.
Registered trademarks belong to their owners. I retain the copyright to opinions added or edits that I have made to information provided by third parties.
The URL for this page is http://suroorasia.blogspot.sg/p/more-about-suroor-asia.html*Suroor refers to a particular form of happiness, where the person feels like the heart is as calm as still water.