AP Multimedia Newsroom - Sanitising & Sustainable Prayer Beads Introduced as Billions Celebrate Eid

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Source: Saudia (Airlines)
Location: Various
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To celebrate Eid Al Fitr, and the Umrah and Hajj season, the world’s first sanitising prayer beads created during the spiritual practice of tasbih
Prayer beads designed with zero waste and are completely hygienic
More than thirty million Muslims expected to make the pilgrimage to Mecca

For billons of Muslims, the start of Eid Al Fitr this evening (9^th April) will signal celebrations across the world as Ramadan passes and a month of fasting comes to an end.

For many, thoughts then turn to a holy pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah) with more than 30 million arriving in Saudi Arabia last year as numbers increased after two years of not being able to visit the holy city due to covid restrictions.

Now, to help them on their travel and spiritual practice of tasbih, a world’s first sanitizing prayer beads ProtecTasbih, will be given to those who want to experience spiritual enlightenment while also adhering to the best health and safety measures for the Umrah and Hajj seasons.

During the development of the prayer beads, Aetha Product Design, the tech company behind the innovation faced several challenges such as not being able use any alcohol owing to religious reasons and so further research led them to look at how it could work with tea tree oil.

Additionally, once the beads’ compound shell is completely used up after the duration that it is designed to last for, there is a core shell underneath that allows the product to continue to be used as prayer beads, leading to zero waste.

Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, transported 30 million guests in 2023, a rise of 21% from the previous year and is on track to transport even more Muslims in 2024 on their spiritual journey.

They will be distributing the prayer beads on their flights following all safety recommendations.

Shamsher Walia, Co-founder for D&F labs believes the use of tea tree oil in the prayer beads sets a new standard for spiritual reverence and modern health consciousness. It also demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and the environment.

They can be joined by Tom Parsons, Founder & Creative Director of Aetha Design who can talk more about the rigorous tests the beads were put under so they could withstand all climates.