Yahoo! Maktoob Launches Ramadan Destination In English

Yahoo! Maktoob has launching a dedicated Ramadan destination on the English Yahoo! Maktoob, which comes to complement its Arabic Ramadan offering, and is targeted towards English speaking Muslims and non-Muslims who might want to learn more about this time of year.

The dedicated destination (http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/ramadan/) is for anyone wishing to enhance their knowledge of Ramadan through rich content that consists of trivia, factsheets, glossary of Ramadan terms, e-greeting cards, and features designed to help non-Muslims understand, enjoy and explore the Holy month.  Features also include health tips and delicious recipes.

With the start of Ramadan, the site will include a prayer and iftar schedules, and will feature Yahoo! Maktoob’s original video productions, which will be subtitled in English.

In the lead up to Ramadan, Yahoo! Maktoob Research conducted a survey across MENA and found that over half of respondents go online as the first step to gathering information during Ramadan, while 45% believe that the Internet improves communication with loved ones and 42% feel the Internet makes life easier and more convenient during Ramadan.

63% of those seeking information online are seeking mainly news while 62% go online for religious content. Cooking recipes are also one of the favorite topics with 50%.  Social networking sites and forums also play an important role as people want to share experiences and congratulate family and friends during this yearly occasion (64%).