NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Heineken, the big Dutch brewer, is eyeing the growing Islamic market with an ambitious plan to use its vast distribution network for a line of non-alcoholic fruit-flavored beers.

As a first step Heineken, one of the world's largest brewers, paid $280 million in October to buy Al Ahram Beverages Co. of Cairo, the biggest financial deal in Egypt's history, the New York Times reported. Al Ahram uses a special brewing process that yields no alcohol, thus allowing its malt beverages to be certified halal, or fit for consumption by observant Muslims, whose religion prohibits drinking alcohol.

The Egyptian brewer introduced its pineapple-flavored Fayrouz malt beverage in 2000 and has since added three others, including mango.

"There are 1.3 billion Muslims in the world, and many of them want to drink beer but do not because they are religiously observant or for social reasons," the Times quoted Al Ahram Chairman Ahmed Zayat as saying. "They want something fizzy, malt-based, flavored and socially acceptable."

In addition to Fayrouz, Al Ahram also brews other nonalcoholic beers under license as well as regular beers, including the Egyptian brands Stella and Sakara, and produces wine and spirits, the Times reported.