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Marrakesh- In 2010, a Moroccan named Abdelaziz Aouragh launched what the media dubbed as the world’s first halal sex shop, which provides a range of erotic products that do not contravene the Islamic Sharia.
Four years later, the second-generation Amsterdammer of Moroccan descent is expanding. He is targeting a global market of around 1.6 billion Muslims around the world by allying with Germany’s largest erotic retailer, Beate Uhse.
According to media reports, the German erotic industry giant approached Aouragh in 2012 with a business proposal to market his “Islamic branded” sex products, which he sells to the public via his Amsterdam-based El Asira online shop, which means society or tribe in Arabic.
“We think we can learn a lot from El Asira on how to tap into the Muslim erotic market,” Beate Uhse spokeswoman Linda Blommaert was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
However, El Asira online sex shop says it does not provide traditional sex products, but only products that don’t violate Islamic rules.
“The products we’re putting on the market have nothing to do with blow-up dolls or vibrators,” Aouragh told AFP. “It’s not about the sex act; it’s what’s going on around it. Our products increase the atmosphere and heighten feelings of sensuality,” he added.
El Asira provides products such as oils, creams and lotions. Beate Uhse has 96 shops in 11 European countries with revenues of around 142 million euros last year.
The two companies are thinking about the possibility of opening a concept store for halal sex products in Saudi Arabia, a country with a strict interpretation of Sharia. If finalized, the shop will be headquartered in Mecca, one of the holiest sites for Muslims.
