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Hospitality Research

Sharia-Compliant Hotels
Joan C. Henderson
Tourism and Hospitality Research 2010 10: 246
DOI: 10.1057/thr.2010.3

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Practice Article

Sharia-compliant hotels
Received (in revised form): 14th May 2010

Joan C. Henderson
is an associate professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, where she
has worked since 1997, specialising in tourism and hospitality studies. Before this, she lectured in travel and
tourism in the United Kingdom after periods of employment in the public and private tourism sectors there. Current
research interests include tourism crisis management and tourism development in the Middle East and Asia Pacific
regions.

Tourism and Hospitality Research (2010) 10, 246–254. doi:10.1057/thr.2010.3;

published online 21 June 2010

Keywords: hotels; Islamic tourism; Sharia-compliance

INTRODUCTION THE WORLD’S MUSLIM

Given the large and growing number of
followers of Islam globally and prevailing
tourism trends, it seems timely to consider the
question of their particular requirements and
the challenges and opportunities Muslim
markets afford for parts of the industry. The
subject of this article is Sharia-compliant hotels
that are an interesting development, illustrating
several important features of demand for and
supply of hospitality services within an Islamic
context. The account opens with a brief review
of the degree of adherence to Islam generally
and the influence of the religion on daily life,
extending to tourism, in order to set the scene.
Features of Sharia-compliance with regard to
hotels, evidence of increased commercial
interest and the consequences for hoteliers of
its adoption are then discussed. Finally, some
conclusions about the wider applicability of the
Sharia-compliant model are presented.
Correspondence: Joan C. Henderson
Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological
University, S3-BIA-27, Nanyang Avenue 639798, Singapore
POPULATION AND ISLAMIC
TOURISM
There are communities of Muslims worldwide
and it has been calculated that they number
1.57 billion or 23 per cent of the global popu-
lation. About 60 per cent of the total is resident
in Asia and 20 per cent in the Middle East and
North Africa, the latter two regions having
the highest share of countries in which they
comprise a majority (Pew Forum, 2009). All
Muslims are adherents of Islam and Muslim life
as a whole is shaped by the holy book of the
Quran and the sunna (customs) of Muhammad,
the last Prophet of Allah or God, expressed in
his sayings and those of his companions
(Armanios, 2004). These are the sources of
religious knowledge and guidance about
conduct fitting to Sharia, an Arabic word
meaning ‘the clear, well-trodden path to water’
(BBC, 2002), which regulates everyday behav-
iour. Sharia stipulates a rigorous prayer schedule
and other observances and is the basis for rules
pertaining to diet, dress and personal and
social interactions, which reflect a fivefold clas-
sification of human actions into obligatory,

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recommended, permitted, disliked and forbidden
(BBC, 2002). It additionally informs financial
and business affairs (Saeed et al, 2001) and
Sharia law on which the judicial systems of
certain Islamic countries are founded.
Nevertheless, the ways in which the religion
affects political, sociocultural and economic
structures and processes are not uniform and
there is scope for interpretation of meanings
and applications. Theocracies, in which the
state and religion are inextricably linked and
government is conducted according to reli-
gious dictates, are exemplified by Saudi Arabia
and Iran. In contrast, the domains remain
formally separate in the South East Asian
nations of Indonesia and Malaysia, which have
majority Muslim populations. Islam is still a
pervasive force and growing Islamicisation of
traditionally moderate societies outside of
Arabia has been observed, a move that is
welcomed by some residents and politicians
and resisted by others. Social restrictions
imposed by the religion and degrees of
conservatism vary according to the regime
and more secular administrations, especially
if dealing with a multicultural citizenry, are
usually less exacting. Generalisations can,
however, be misleading and individual
Muslims may feel differing intensities of
devoutness and attitudes towards its physical
manifestations.
The distinctive needs of Muslims in religious
and other spheres impinge on tourism (Mansfeld
et al, 2000; Syed, 2001; Henderson, 2003;
Weidenfeld, 2006). The phrase ‘Islamic
Tourism’ usually describes Muslim tourists
travelling to destinations where Islam is the
official or dominant faith, often for reasons
connected to religion (Organisation of the
Islamic Conference (OIC), 2008). According
to Al-Hamarneh (2008, p. 2), goals are ‘first,
the revival of Islamic cultures and the spread
of Islamic values; second, economic benefits
for Islamic societies; and third, the strength-
ening of Islamic self-confidence, identity and
beliefs in the face of negative stereotyping in
comparison to other cultures and lifestyles’.
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Sharia-compliant hotels
Some advocates favour a type of tourism in
conformity with the strictest rendering of
Islamic principles, confined to activities
sanctioned by religious leaders and
suppliers, which are owned and operated
by Muslims and funded by Islamic financial
organisations.
However, the concept can be defined more
broadly to cover all travel by Muslims for
whom religion is an important consideration,
albeit not necessarily a prime motivation
(Henderson, 2009). Several of these travellers
will be prepared to tolerate some deviation
from Islamic teachings and lower their reli-
gious-related expectations of service providers,
such an option likely to be a practical necessity
on occasion. It must also be recalled that Islam
does make allowances for those away from
home concerning prayers, for example, and
during the fasting month of Ramadan (Timothy
and Iverson, 2006). Whichever definition is
employed, accommodation is central to the
tourist experience and Sharia-compliant hotels
can be regarded as one dimension of Islamic
tourism.
THE SHARIA-COMPLIANT
HOTEL
There are no formal criteria for Sharia-compli-
ance in the hotel sector, but scrutiny of state-
ments made by industry practitioners and
analysts reveals broad agreement about a set of
attributes that are summarised in Figure 1.
Emphasis is often placed on the prohibition of
alcohol, but Sharia-compliant implies a fuller
commitment and is distinct from the notion
of a dry hotel. Certain versions of Sharia-
compliance insist on more stringent rules about
the segregation of sexes with separate cafes and
restaurants, staff to serve only guests of their
gender and unmarried couples barred from
occupying the same bedroom. Art depicting
the human form must not be displayed. It may
also be that regular seminars and preaching
sessions should be hosted and donations made
to charities, which help the Muslim commu-
nity. Ownership of properties by Muslims has
247
 Henderson

No alcohol to be served or consumed on the premises

Halal foods (slaughtered in the name of Allah and excluding all

pork products and certain other items)

Quran, prayer mats and arrows indicating the direction of Mecca

in every room

Beds and toilets positioned so as not to face the direction of Mecca

Bidets in bathrooms

Sharia-Compliance
Prayer rooms

Appropriate entertainment (no nightclubs or adult television channels)

Predominantly Muslim staff

Conservative staff dress

Separate recreational facilities for men and women

All female floors

Guest dress code

Islamic funding

Figure 1: Attributes of Sharia-compliance for hotels.

also been mentioned as an additional require-
ment, in some cases.
The lack of consensus about some facets of
hotel compliance indicates that, as with Sharia
law as a whole, there are ambiguities. A number
of defining characteristics such as halal food and
no alcohol are straightforward, but questions of
finance and staff demographics are less easily
answered. There is thus some confusion about
the precise pre-requisites of a Sharia-compliant
hotel ( Javed, 2007; Hotelier Middle East, 2008a)
with a range of interpretations, indicative of a
spectrum of adherence and some have proposed
a regulatory body to resolve uncertainties and
establish minimum standards. However, most of
the stipulations cited in Figure 1 are commonly
accepted and have implications for operations as
well as development and financing.
Gender segregation and the allocation of
floors to men, women and families if
required complicate capacity planning and
yield management and may have repercussions
for architectural and interior design. Rooms
must be suitably furnished and fitted and
spaces allocated for prayer. Staffing to ensure
both sexes are appropriately represented
and the productivity of the labour force is
maximised is another problem. These consid-
erations could lead to extra costs and the
absence of revenue from often lucrative alcohol
trade can be deemed another potential draw-
back (Rosenberg and Choufany, 2009).
Marketers also confront dilemmas about how
to position the hotel and promote it to non-
Muslim guests, which are described in a later
section.

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 Sharia-compliant hotels

COMMERCIAL INTEREST IN introduced in 2006 and has plans for seven

SHARIA-COMPLIANCE
Hotels in Iran and Saudi Arabia are compelled
by law to abide by specific regulations (Zamani-
Farahani and Henderson, 2009) and Sharia-
compliance is not a matter of choice for either
hotel operators or guests. Measures such as the
banning of alcohol sales are also enforced in
many other Muslim countries within the
Middle East and beyond, either nationally or
subnationally, so that aspects of the idea have
become a practice in many instances. What
seems a new trend, however, is heightened
commercial interest in fuller compliance and
projects in locations where rulings are more
flexible or where there is no legal compulsion.
Table 1 contains data about selected compa-
nies, based mainly in Dubai in the United Arab
Emirates, which illustrate an upsurge in activity
in the past 4 years.
Almulla Hospitality is a new entrant and
publicised its goal of 150 Sharia-compliant
hotels by 2013, divided into three brand tiers,
in 2007 (Almulla Hospitality, 2009). Shaza, a
partnership between the German Kempinski
group and a Bahraini financial institution, was
hotels (Hotelier Middle East, 2008b). Another
newcomer is the Landmark Hotel Group that
announced in 2008 that it would be opening
10 Sharia-compliant hotels and hotel apart-
ments by 2010 (Hotelier Middle East, 2008c).
The Serai Group, launched in 2006, intends
to have 24 properties (AME.info.com, 2006).
Among actual operators, Jawhara Hotels and
Apartments dates from 2004 and has three
hotels to date ( Jawhara Hotels, 2009), whereas
Tamani Hotels and Resorts, also with a short
history, runs one hotel and is planning a further
three (Tamani Hotels and Resorts, 2009).
Rotana is a well-established hotel management
company in the Middle East and North Africa,
but its Rayhaan Hotels and Resorts by Rotana
is a recently inaugurated brand distinguished
by Sharia-compliance (Rotana Hotels, 2009).
The information in Table 1 indicates that
the best prospects are believed to be principally
in Middle Eastern, North African and Asian
markets in which residents are primarily
Muslims. Dubai would seem a popular choice
of venue (Euromonitor, 2009) and this may
be partly due to its characteristics as a busy

Table 1: Sharia-compliant hotels

Company Concept Existing properties Planned properties

Almulla Hospitality Sharia-compliant/conscious 0 150 (Middle East, North Africa,

lifestyle South East Asia and Europe)
Jawhara Sharia-compliant/unique Emirate 3 (Dubai) No information available
hospitality/Islamic hospitality
Landmark Hotel Group Sharia-compliant/Middle 0 10 hotels and serviced apartments
Eastern themed (UAE and Saudi Arabia)
Rayhaan Hotels and Respect for the culture and 1 (Saudi Arabia) 3 (Dubai)
Resorts by Rotana beliefs of guests
Serai Group Middle Eastern-themed/ 0 24 (Middle East, North Africa and
Sharia-compliant South Asia)
Shaza Hotels Based on Arab culture and 0 7 (Bahrain, Cairo, Doha, Dubai,
tradition/oriental spirit/sensitive Marrakech and Muscat)
to Islamic considerations
Tamani Hotels and Adherence to Islamic principles 1 (Dubai) 2 (UAE)
Resorts

Sources: Corporate websites; Hotelier Middle East (2008a–d); Rosenberg and Choufany (2009).

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 Henderson
international tourist destination. It is more
cosmopolitan and open than its regional
neighbours and even other Emirates and has a
population in which expatriates outnumber
locals (Henderson, 2007). Many of its larger
hotels cater to diverse nationalities from around
the world and sell drinks to both Muslim
and non-Muslim customers. They may have
dedicated female floors, but rigorous gender
segregation and dress codes are less observable.
Such a situation generates demand for Sharia-
compliant accommodation among Muslim
visitors and especially Arabs who prefer to
avoid any contact with alcohol, Westernised
entertainments and what are perceived to be
inappropriately dressed fellow guests within
their hotel.
Opportunities for Sharia-compliant hotel
development in European cities have been
hailed by Almalla, which includes the conti-
nent in its plans, and Shaza has made reference
to possibilities in London and Geneva. Compa-
nies headquartered in North America and
Europe appear less enthusiastic, irrespective
of geographical location, with the exception
of Saudi Arabia. It has been reported that
the concept is particularly problematic for
their four and five star Middle East properties
in Central Business Districts and at airports
(Business Emirates, 2009). Nevertheless and
despite the fact that not all projects are
confirmed and the global recession that
commenced in 2008 and its aftermath could
delay progress, there is evidence of escalating
support for the Sharia-compliance model.
Various factors explain this interest, not least
an appreciation of rising demand, and these are
explored below.
TRENDS FAVOURING THE
ADOPTION OF SHARIA-
COMPLIANCE
Before the onset of recession, tourism for the
purposes of business and leisure had been
growing steadily in many of the 57 states that
make up the OIC in which Muslims are
concentrated. Assuming economic recovery is
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not unduly prolonged, many currently periph-
eral regions are forecast to record above average
growth rates as generators of and destinations
for international tourism. Domestic activity is
set to expand too as economies advance and
travel within the Middle East is predicted to
be especially buoyant in the longer term
(UNWTO, 2009). Saudi Arabia is already a
leading centre that can be attributed to its
role in hosting over 8 million pilgrims each
year (EIU, 2008), the haj to Mecca being
compulsory for all Muslims once in their lives,
if financially and physically able to do so.
Elsewhere, Middle Eastern visitors are
welcomed because of their high spending
power and comparatively long length of stay,
positive economic impacts augmented by a
tendency to travel in large family parties
(Heyer, 2008). Not all OIC members are as
wealthy as the oil-rich Gulf States, however,
and tourism investment and participation can
be seriously impeded by lack of resources as
well as the presence of social and political insta-
bility (Henderson, 2009). Inbound, outbound
and domestic tourism volumes and values
thus vary by country, but overall demand for
hospitality services among Muslim markets has
been said to be strong with good prospects
(Euromonitor, 2008). Sharia-compliance is
judged by representatives of those at work in
the industry to have great appeal for many
Muslims and to be viewed as essential by a
significant proportion.
Initiatives have been facilitated by the avail-
ability of funding categorised as Islamic, much
of it generated in the Middle East (Rosenberg
and Choufany, 2009). Issues of Islamic finance,
encompassing Islamic banking (Yunis, 2009),
have inspired some debate about whether the
religion and modern finance are compatible,
but there is a conviction in Muslim societies
that business sectors should also conform to
Sharia. Main features include a proscription on
the charging of interest and on most types of
speculative investment as well as investing in
areas labelled forbidden, illustrated by alcohol
and gambling. The sharing of risk and

benefiting of the Islamic community at large
are other guiding principles (BBC, 2009;
Islamic Finance.com, 2009). According to a
representative from Lang LaSalle Hotels, ‘Sharia-
driven investors’ are seeking new opportunities
and the ‘range of Sharia-compliant investment
products’ is widening to embrace suitable
hospitality assets (The National, 2009).
DEALING WITH NON-MUSLIMS
The challenges for hotel developers and
managers posed by the implementation of
Sharia-compliance are compounded if the
targeted clientele comprise both Muslims and
non-Muslims, endeavours having to be made
to satisfy the two groups and avoid any
conflicts. It is also a test for marketers because
Sharia may well have unfavourable associations
for outsiders, with connotations of severe
punishments and regimes that are repressive
and violate the rights of women (BBC, 2002).
In reply to the dilemma, analysts and hoteliers
contend that Sharia-compliance does not
exclude non-Muslims and may indeed be
attractive to them. Alcohol bans, in combina-
tion with no-smoking policies, can be turned
into a selling point conducive to good health
and exposure to Islam in a hotel setting
presented as a unique experience of a sort
not found in a Westernised milieu (Business
Emirates, 2009; Rosenberg and Choufany,
2009).
Such a stance is conveyed in announcements
by Almulla Hospitality, a company that does
not intend to limit its market to Muslims
(Almulla Hospitality, 2007). The corporate
website refers to ‘conscious lifestyle travellers’
who appreciate the ‘health and clean living
aspects’ of Sharia-compliant hotels. These tour-
ists are also a ‘very culturally open and
discerning group of travellers’ who will be
drawn to the special qualities of such hotels.
The company maintains that ‘compliance with
the Sharia follows a number of clear principles’,
but enforcement will ‘range from being
extremely strict (rules being enforced over each
guest) to lenient (general policy of hotel, each
© 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1467-3584 Tourism and Hospitality Research Vol. 10, 3, 246–254
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Sharia-compliant hotels
and every guest not required to comply)’.
However, there will be ‘no perception of force
or restriction, but rather a positive and inviting
communication of Islamic values, lifestyles
and key aspects to Muslim and conscious life-
style travellers alike’ (Almulla Hospitality,
2009).
A similar approach seems to have been
adopted by Shaza whose management talks of
being ‘sensitive to Islamic considerations’ in its
hotels that will be ‘integrated into the culture
of the region’ with a ‘service delivery based
entirely on Arab culture’ (Hotelier Middle
East, 2008b). An executive said he prefers to
‘speak of the oriental spirit and the oriental
spirit happens to have Sharia compliance and
therefore no alcohol. But we don’t want to
make it sound like an absolute rule; it is just
part of the culture. We don’t want it to sound
negative’. He also acknowledged the commer-
cial necessity of hosting guests from parts of
the world with cultural norms and patterns of
behaviour different to those of Islam (Hotelier
Middle East, 2008d).
There will be no compromise on Sharia-
compliance by the Landmark Hotel Group,
although the company insists that their hotels
will appeal to non-Muslims and especially
families who will ‘thoroughly enjoy the quieter
and cleaner ambience’ (Hotelier Middle
East, 2008c). The Serai Group also aims to
target both regional and Western guests in its
properties that will be ‘designed to embrace
local and Islamic influences in order to deliver
an authentic traditional and cultural experi-
ence’. The stated objective is to develop and
manage an ‘international chain of Middle
Eastern themed Sharia-compliant hotels’ in
response to mounting demand for ‘culturally
sensitive Middle East hotels’ (AME.info.com,
2006).
Jawhara Hotels and Apartments has a mission
to provide ‘authentic Emirate Sharia-compliant
hospitality’ in its hotels. The core theme of
‘unique Emirates’ or ‘Islamic hospitality’ incor-
porates many of the points in Figure 1 ( Jawhara
Hotels, 2009), but is extended to all faiths
251
 Henderson
whereas ‘respect for the culture and beliefs of
its guests’ is the espoused Rotana philosophy
(Islam Online, 2009). Adherence to ‘Islamic
principles’ is also acknowledged by Tamani
Hotels and Resorts, yet the ‘Tamani Vision’
encompasses the creation of a ‘unique product
based on Arabic heritage and local values to
cater to the world at large without restriction
on race, creed or religion’ (Tamani Hotels and
Resorts, 2009).
Such pronouncement yields insights into
possible responses to the difficulties for Sharia-
compliant hotels in reconciling amenities and
modes of operation designed to satisfy Muslim
guests with the expectations of non-Muslims.
A common approach is to depict hotel envi-
ronments shaped by the Islamic belief system
as expressions of culture and authenticity.
Certain core attributes are cast in a favourable
light and any prohibitions are downplayed,
carefully chosen terminology being used to this
effect. Whether these messages can be effec-
tively communicated is debatable and the
successful performance of many of the new
ventures remains to be seen.
CONCLUSION
Hotels with aspirations to be Sharia-compliant
thus possess unique characteristics that have
consequences for their development, manage-
ment and marketing. When discussing viability,
it is necessary to distinguish between properties
in Muslim countries and elsewhere. Success is
clearly more probable in societies and econo-
mies in which there is a close affinity with the
concept and high demand from Muslims, epit-
omised by Middle East states. Nevertheless, the
hospitality business is inclusive and levels of
international tourism mean that non-Muslims
may constitute a valuable market worthy of
cultivation, even in predominantly Muslim
cultures. In such situations, hotel companies
have to consider how best to accommodate the
needs of both Muslims and non-Muslims in
mutually satisfactory ways. Where Islam is a
minority religion or little known, the advan-
tages of stricter versions of Sharia-compliance
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are doubtful. At the same time, a case can be
made for a limited number of such properties
in busy international tourist hubs that record
substantial volumes of Muslim visitors. Many
of these may be seeking a familiar setting, free
from anxieties about religious obligations, and
this predilection accounts for speculation about
openings in selected European centres that are
popular with Arab tourists.
In other properties and places, hotels might
be advised to demonstrate awareness of the
religious-related needs of all guests. Muslims
should have access to certain items from the
Sharia-compliance list such as a Quran, prayer
mats and arrows indicating the direction of
Mecca in every room as well as information
about local mosques. Halal menus can be
offered in restaurants and special arrangements
made for Ramadan. Although a restricted
package will not please the most orthodox of
followers of Islam, it would suggest knowledge
of and respect for religious sensitivities and
sensibilities, which will be appreciated by
some. Catering to Muslims within the
constraints imposed by destination and commer-
cial realities also makes business sense and
allows companies to tap into new markets of
more modern and less conservative Islamic
tourists.
However, further research is necessary into
how Islam impacts on attitudes and behaviour
in order to improve understanding of Muslim
tourists and assist in decision making. Opinions
among non-Muslims about staying in hotels
of assorted degrees of Sharia-compliance and
reactions to such experiences are another
avenue for enquiry. In addition, execution of
the original plans and strategies of companies
new to the market merit monitoring to assess
if ambitious goals are realised and the desired
mix of Muslim and non-Muslim customers is
attained. Interesting sociocultural questions of
the desirability of isolating Muslims and non-
Muslims and the extent to which travellers
should be willing to adapt to local circum-
stances also arise, which have wider sociocul-
tural and political reverberations. Discussion of

Sharia-compliance cannot be divorced from
developments in the wider world, and the
situation illustrates the manner in which
tourism and hospitality are exposed to external
forces and the problems and opportunities this
creates for practitioners.
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