Texting the faithful

The craze for phones is just as strong in the Middle East as anywhere else. According to EIU forecasts, phones will outnumber people in Saudi Arabia by 2009. Camera phones are still banned but enterprising phone companies have found new ways to tempt people into upgrading their handsets.

A local company, Saudi Television Manufacturing Company, has launched what it calls a “Saudi Mobile” which has prayer-time settings and a qibla, or direction of prayer, indication, using GPRS technology. To complete the package, a UK-based firm, My Adha, offers a “digital muezzin” service which prompts the faithful to pray by text. Who says a new phone is a frivolous purchase?