South Asia Investor Review

Pakistanis are spending about $3.5 billion on  Eid ul Azha  this year, according to analysts. This includes $2.8 billion worth of  livestock  and another  $700 million on clothes,  shoes, jewelry and various services . This amount represent a huge transfer of wealth from urban to rural population in the country. Animal Sacrifice: Eid al Adha commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his most beloved son Ismail (Ismael) when asked to do so by God. It follows  Hajj, the annual pilgrimage of Mecca  by Muslims from around the world each year. Muslims believe that God had angels remove Ismael from under the knife of blindfolded Abraham and had him replaced by a lamb. Economic Activity:  The commemoration includes sacrifice of cows, goats, lambs and camels on Eid al Azha. This year, the  media reports  indicate that 4 million goats, 2.7 million cows, 800,000 lambs and 30,000 camels are being slaughte...

Eid-ul-Fitr celebration this year marked the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with many large prayer congregations across America. Muslims wore colorful outfits.   There were servings of traditional foods and deserts in outdoor  melas  (fairs) for Muslim families and their friends in all major cities of the United States. Most celebrated on Friday while others waited till Saturday. Some  security fears  for American Muslims had arisen after an unfortunate shooting incident in which a US-born Palestinian-American young man killed four marines at a military recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Along with the other Americans, Muslims too mourned for the Chattanooga dead and they prayed for peace for all of America and the world. Fortunately, Eid celebrations have so far passed without an incident. The  Washington Post  put the Chattanooga shooting in perspective with a history of several attacks by various groups starting with ...

Eid and Ramzan sales, making up over 40% of annual revenue of retailers in Pakistan, are estimated to have jumped 10-15% this year, according to early data reported in the news media . Nielsen , a global provider of data on consumers, reports that Pakistan consumer confidence has held steady at 99 for two consecutive quarters. This compares favorably with consumer confidence figures which declined over the previous quarter in the overall Middle East/Africa region. Among the region, UAE led the way for Middle East/Africa consumer confidence with an index of 109, a decline of five points from first-quarter 2014. Egypt (81) reported a drop of six points compared to the first quarter. South Africa posted the only regional confidence increase, climbing three points to 85, and confidence held steady in Saudi Arabia (102). Global Consumer Confidence Index Report. Source: Nielsen  More than half (56%) of Middle East/ Africa respondents in Nielsen consumer surveys viewed their p...

"At Christmas there's Santa Claus to give everyone gifts, it's important for Christians. For us Ramadan is a really special time so it's really important to make people happy and reward them." A amer Liaquat Husain, Popular Televangelist and Show Host of Pakistan's GeoTV  Aamer Liaquat Husain's Amaan Ramzan is the highest rated TV show in Pakistan. It attracts sponsor-ships and advertisements from successful companies in Pakistan which are willing to pay top dollars for a slice of its viewers' attention and business. These advertisers see the festive Ramadan and Eid season as crucial to boost their annual profits and sales. Downplaying the commercial success of his show, Aamer Liaquat insists that "it is not commercialization, it is not showbiz. It is real Islam. I am the religious icon of television" according to an AFP report .  Aamer Liaquat's show is no ordinary TV production. The show is set in a massive wedding hall at a K...

Media coverage of Pakistan's brisk Eid-ul-Azha livestock sales are a reminder that the nation is among the world's  top ten consumers of goat meat  and beef based on  USDA data . Pakistan's goat meat consumption of 779,000 tons in 2011-12 ranks it among the top 3 in the world. 1.7 million tons of beef consumption in Pakistan is ranked  9th among beef consuming nations. In addition, 834,000 tons of poultry meat consumption puts it among world's top 20. Source:  Economic Survey of Pakistan 2011-12 Along with rising meat consumption, there has also been a big surge in milk consumption with the ongoing  livestock revolution in Pakistan . Pakistanis consumed nearly 39 million tons of milk in 2011-12, according to  Economic Survey of Pakistan . This translates into 223 Kg of milk consumption per person which is about the same as the  developed world's per capita milk consumption  and more than twice that of neighboring  India's 96 k...