German sex aid company Beate Uhse, which runs the Pabo and Christine le Duc stores, is working together with Amsterdam company El Asira to focus on the ‘enormous Muslim growth market’.

El Asira was founded in 2010 and concentrates on the market for what it calls ‘sensual wellness’.

‘In the west, people think sensuality means pornography but we are not a sex shop,’ stresses founder Abdelaziz Aouragh in the Financieele Dagblad. El Asira sells massage oils, lingerie and personal care products.

Aouragh says he was first approached by Beate Uhse in 2012 and had talks with the company’s Dutch CEO, Serge van der Hooft. ‘Even though I don’t want to sell 99% of the things they do, we got on extremely well,’ the Amsterdam entrepreneur told the FD.

Growth market

‘He respected our way of working, which complies with Islamic law. And he wanted to learn how he can best approach this growth market.’

The new range of lingerie and personal care products will go on sale in Beate Uhse shops and via the El Asira website in two weeks’ time. They will also be available in chemists shops and via Bol.com.

Financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed. Beate Uhse is listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange.