Alpha1Estates launches Ihsan al-Haramain Consultancy Programme

LONDON, 01 Jan 2007 - Global Islamic real estate firm Alpha1Estates International on Monday launched the Ihsan al-Haramain Programme, the first bespoke consultancy service for Muslims worldwide wishing to purchase or lease residential and commercial property in the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah.

The company, which launched on January 1 2006, said Muslim clients are provided a unique and specialised service allowing them to choose between various real estate opportunities in the Holy Cities at present and in the future.

"In the current urban regeneration taking place in the Holy Cities, it is difficult for prospective clients to know which property to buy here and where," said Chief Executive Officer, Talal Mahmood Malik.

"In the Ihsan al-Haramain Programme, clients are given a bespoke service by our consultants about the various developments in the Holy Cities, allowing them to make the most informed decision."

Last year, the company was the first company in the world to market properties in the Holy Cities, including ZamZam Tower and Abraj al-Bayt in Makkah and Taiba Eastern Tower in Madinah.

Alpha1Estates' customers worldwide include Muslim retail clients, from micro-entrepreneurs to royal family members, companies from start-ups to Fortune 500s, and institutions like government departments and charities. Outside its London-based headquarters, the company has expanded its operations to North America, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East, and Australasia, with offices for 2007 set to open in Egypt and Dubai.

"We have one bespoke service - where our clients can purchase small shops or buildings. Our primary concern is the client's satisfaction and preservation of the sanctity of the Holy Cities."

The company recently said part of its due diligence process was to consult Islamic scholars of the highest calibre. Shaykh Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo, one of the world’s most highly respected Islamic Finance scholars praised the company for its services and Shaykh Abdullah ibn Bayyah, the Vice-President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, has also personally endorsed Alpha1Estates’ marketing of properties in Makkah and Madinah.

"Alpha1Estates was founded on the principle of reviving, maintaining, preserving and enhancing the heritage and landscape of the Holy Cities. We are delighted the Saudi government has begun initatives to protect the sites in the Hijaz, particularly those under the auspices of the Supreme Commission for Tourism."

Alpha1Estates International outlines five eras of heritage in the Hijaz area: Pre-Islamic (including Abrahamic), Qur'anic, Islamic, Ottoman and the Saudi Era, with areas associated with the first three eras particularly marked for their sacredness.

Within the real estate industry, Alpha1Estates International has pioneered its marketing approach, becoming the first property company to market its property on Internet video portal, YouTube.com.

"It has been an eventful year, mashallah," said Mr. Malik. "We look forward to helping our clients with their needs in 2007 in the Gregorian calendar and 1428 in the Islamic calendar."