“Ours is the first matrimonial portal which offers free service from registration to settlement,” said Ibrahim Muhammad Ashraf, co-chairman of the Calicut-based Aasra Group that promotes gulfmarry.com.

He said the portal would be officially launched in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries within a few days, adding that Aasra was holding negotiations with Al-Rajhi Group in the Kingdom about becoming a sponsor.

The portal will be of big help for expatriate parents working in the Gulf who often find it difficult to identify life partners for their sons and daughters. The portal helps parents and relatives to meet prospective brides and grooms for their children online.

“We consider this as a social service rather than a business. We have made use of the latest technology to assure maximum security for its users,” Ashraf said, adding that the portal is managed with the support of sponsors including major companies.

The portal offers the largest database and easiest search settings with the highest inbuilt security system, he said. “It is managed by highly skilled, creative and innovative professionals,” he said.

Security and reliability are some of the portal’s hallmarks. “It’s the most user-friendly portal. Our global reach, huge data base, quick navigation, unique security settings have made gulfmarry.com one of the most popular portals in the world,” he said.

Ashraf said the portal was powered by Gulfmarry.com Trust and was promoted by eminent personalities, including businessmen and politicians. “Finding partners for children is not an easy task and we are happy to make this task much easier for parents,” he said.

Gulfmarry.com is the only matrimonial portal with separate sections for people of different religious faiths.

“A person who belongs to one religion can’t explore the details of a person belonging another faith. We don’t promote interfaith marriage.”

According to Ashraf, the portal has received encouraging responses from parents and youths in different parts of the world. “A person can register in this portal by uploading their names, photos, phone numbers, e-mails and other details. After registration he/she can start searching for his/her partner,” he said.

“Those who register will be given a secret code to visit profiles of others. Members can exchange secret codes if they want to,” Ashraf explained. The portal offers 100 eight-gram gold coins to the first 100 individuals who register with it before Sept. 27, 2010.