If you use grocery delivery apps, chances are you have spotted new ‘goat’-themed options added to the menu. For Islamic festival Eid Al Adha this year, residents can pre-order their sacrificial animals on Careem and Noon and have the meat delivered to their doorsteps.
Careem and Noon offer a wide range of sheep and goats in different sizes, priced between Dh400 and Dh2,150.
On Eid al-Adha, Muslims sacrifice an animal to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah’s command. This is known as Udhiya or Qurbani. The meat of the sacrificed animal is usually distributed to family, friends and the needy.
For the first time, this service is available through food delivery apps in the country.
The Noon Minutes app saw nearly a million residents use the app’s special Eid al-Adha section.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive and we are pleased to see the strong demand for our offering,” Noon’s Chief Commercial. “Customers can place an order two days before Eid al-Adha.”
According to Chase Lario, vice president of grocery operations at Careem, the service aims to simplify an important Islamic tradition.
The platform implemented this initiative in collaboration with a local partner. “We worked with Dhabayeh Al Emarat,” Lario said. “This partnership ensures a consistent supply of high quality livestock in line with the sacred tradition of Udhiya. Many people often find it difficult to find the right suppliers to perform this important ritual and we are happy to make this process easier for our customers.”
Meanwhile, Noon has partnered with local community-approved slaughterhouses to offer this service. “This ensures that the process complies with all relevant regulations and adheres to the highest standards of hygiene and halal practices,” said Heiba .
Options
The Careem and Noon Minutes apps offer customers the option to choose between cut and piece size. They can also choose to sacrifice an animal on each of the three Eid days, with delivery of the meat scheduled for the same day.
Lario said the response has been overwhelming. “Just a few days after the launch, we saw a surge in orders from our customers.”
He said the platform ensured that the animals met the sacrifice’s requirements. “In accordance with Udhiya tradition, all the sacrificial animals available on Karim are adult animals over six months old,” he said. “We offer a wide variety of goats and sheep, with a focus on local breeds such as Naimi and Najdi sheep, as well as locally bred goats.”
This year, Eid al-Adha falls on June 16. In honor of the holiday, residents will receive paid leave from Saturday, June 15, to Tuesday, June 18.