Google Launches Web Portal 'My Ramadan Companion" that Gives Fasting times, food and apps

On Thursday morning, search engine giants Google released My Ramadan Companion, a web portal/personal assistant to help Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan.

The religious event, which began at dawn Thursday June 18, is an annual period of fasting, prayer and giving for the world's 1.6 billion Muslims.

My Ramadan Companion gives users directions to their nearest Halal restaurants and their opening times, and apps designed for the holy month.

It also provides recipes for the evening Iftar, eaten after sunset, relevant YouTube videos, from Ramadan video diaries to comedy and drama series, and tips on how to stay healthy during the month.

"Technology helps more than 200 million Muslims living away from their families connect and share moments with loved ones," said Zain Kamal Masri, Google's associate product marketing manager for the Middle East and North Africa.

"People look to Maps to navigate traffic and make it home from work for Iftar, download Google Play apps to plan their day around the sunset and sunrise, and look up Ramadan opening hours of their favorite local shops and restaurants."