CAIRO: In honor of the Holy Month of Ramadan, which falls on the first of August this year, Yahoo launched a Ramadan site as part of Yahoo! Maktoob. The new site gives users the option to access spiritual lifestyle and entertainment content and accurate prayer and iftar times for those fasting based on city and country. Addressed maktoob.ramadan.yahoo.com, the site brings all content relevant to the month of Ramadan, pulling from several leading Yahoo Maktoob properties such as Helwa, Video on Demand, Forums, Search, OMG!, and News, according to a statement released by Yahoo. “We are selecting content that is relevant to this period from all of our popular properties, and packaging it in a way that gives users an experience that is both enjoyable and useful,” Ahmed Nassef, Vice President and Managing Director, Yahoo Middle East said in the statement. The OMG! option for example, brings users the news of how celebrities are spending Ramadan. Helwa, which according to Yahoo is the region's leading women's property, will be bringing over 16,000 recipes users. Video on Demand will provide a line-up of fresh video content that includes popular TV shows, cooking, news, and Islamic shows. There will also be a game option called Ramadan Games, which includes a Qatayef making game, in reference to the famous Ramadan desert, along with other cooking games. “For many people, Ramadan is a time for spirituality, sharing experiences with friends and family, and reflecting; it is also a time that impacts people's lifestyles and how they consume information and content,” said Nassef. “It's not a surprise that the internet is increasingly becoming a main source for Ramadan related information – be it prayer times, the latest recipes or TV listing – as well as a main entertainment hub.” Another feature is a free SMS service that enables users to send Ramadan greetings to friends or families directly to their mobiles. Users will be able to send up to three messages per day, customized or pre-defined. To make it convenient for users to access these options as they are on the go, a mobile application of the Ramadan site has also been launched and will provide live feeds regarding prayer times, TV guides, and other features. The new site is also running a competition that encourages users to share their personal Ramadan experiences and how they celebrate the month by submitting uploads in the form of writing, photos or videos. Winners will be based on community votes, with a chance to win iPads.
