Following popular demand, Nokia and Microsoft have joined forces to launch a variety of new Islamic and Ramadan applications which can be downloaded directly from the Windows Phone Store.

This year's top new Nokia Windows Phone 8 Ramadan applications are feature packed, and include Ramadan Kareem, Quran Mojawed, Muslim Prayers, Essential Duas, and also Zomato which features a special Iftar and Suhoor section on their website.

"Developers in the region are very enthusiastic with the opportunities Ramadan apps offer on the Nokia Lumia smartphones with Windows Phone 8 as they constitute a unique ‘economy’ within the Middle East app ecosystem," remarked Ahmed Arab, App marketing manager for Nokia (Mena).

"There has been a significant increase in this category and we are pleased to announce the availability of some of the most innovative applications relevant for this Ramadan season," he stated.

Commenting on the availability of new Ramadan apps, Michael Mansour, the developer platform and technology lead at Microsoft Gulf said, "This Ramadan, Nokia Lumia users will now have easy access to many of the cherished experiences that Muslims like to be close to, and keep them connected to Ramadan."

"Developers from the region have added various Islamic apps that would let users celebrate this Ramadan with renewed religious fervour and offer Ramadan-specific activities with greater ease and conviction. We are committed to providing Windows phone users with access to innovative applications for seamless experiences on the Windows 8 platform," he added.

The major apps being launched by the duo include:

*Ramadan Kareem:

This app is the perfect companion for all Muslims observing the fast. It gives the time and countdown for both the next prayer and Iftar. It also covers the prayer times for the entire day, selecting the location manually or through GPS and using one of the multiple calculation methods one can choose under settings.

It also offers very useful tools such as Mosque locator, a Qibla Finder as well as a Quran calculator, to determine the number of pages to be read to achieve one’s reading goal at the end of the month. What is unique about Ramadan Kareem, is the free TV and Radio streams the user can access, a selection of Fatwa and holy reading and not to mention the special Ramadan recipes and non-Muslim section, explaining to do’s and don’ts of Ramadan.

*Quran Mojawed

Quran Mojawed offers the complete Quran in Arabic calligraphy with the possibility to listen to each surah from a different reciter. In addition, the Quran Mojawed offers complete Tajweed guidelines, as well as bookmarks. Quran Mojawed is developed by veterans ASGATech, who have established themselves as one of the leaders of Islamic apps.


*Muslim Prayers

Muslim Prayers stands out of the crowd with its highly customizable options. Every feature, such as prayer times, Qibla or Mosque Locator can be “pinned to the start” and accessed straight from the home screen. Its Mosque Locator is directly integrated with Nokia HERE Drive and allows users to make use of the voice guided navigation with one click. In addition, the app makes beautiful use of live tiles, allowing the user to see the prayer times flickering on the tiles on his/her home screen.

*Essential Duas

Essential Duas compiles a plethora of Islamic Duas for Muslims in a neat, clear interface, following the philosophy of Windows Phone design language, and granting the user a simple, yet elegant way to recite supplications on-the-go. It  also includes transliterations, as well as translations for each supplication, to help users who are not well acquainted with the Arabic language understand and learn the Duas better. Lastly, the app makes it possible to share Duas with friends and family, via SMS, email, and social media.

*Zomato

Zomato is one of the most sought after restaurant finder app from zomato.com. It offers one of the biggest selections of restaurant across the UAE, Qatar, India and many more. The app lets the user see menus, pictures and maps for over 95,000 restaurants as well as check ratings and reviews. Zomato and Nokia have introduced a special Iftar and Suhoor section enabling users to easily find out the best eating options available this holy season.

Nokia Lumia users can download these apps directly from the Windows Phone store on their Nokia Lumia device.-TradeArabia News Service