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Muslim mindset

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Imagine strolling down a broad street beneath palm trees, breathing in aromas of falafel and hummus, hearing the hiss of the hookah.

Mixed groups of men and women are relaxing in low chairs, inhaling honeyed aromatic tobacco through shisha pipes, perhaps even watching Arabic- language satellite television, and drinking sweet tea. Could this be Hong Kong? Not yet.

It's not even agreed that this comprises Muslim or Middle Eastern ideas of entertainment. But with the announcement last week of the city's first Islamic investment fund, planners and entrepreneurs are pondering how to make Hong Kong more appealing to the Middle Eastern market and mindset.

United Arab Emirates Consul General Saeed Hamad Aljunaibi told the South China Morning Post Hong Kong needed to be more 'Muslim-friendly'.

Finding out what that might mean, and how to do it, promises to keep busy a growing body of people - from bankers and civil servants to hoteliers, academics and worshippers of many faiths.

Hospitals and hotels in Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore offer Arabic translators who are headscarf-wearing Muslims, be they Thai, Chinese or Malay. Check into many of the hotels across Southeast Asia and look to the ceiling and you will see an arrow, usually green, pointing in the direction of Mecca.

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