Mohammed Omar Abdullah, undersecretary for the Abu Dhabi Department of Planning and Economy, officially opened Halal World Expo, a comprehensive event showcasing Middle East and international businesses, which make up the $2.1 trillion Halal industry, today.

The Halal World Expo, organised by IIR Middle East and held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from December 9-11, is a significant exhibition for Halal- related buyers and suppliers to expand their businesses in the fastest growing industry sector globally.

Abdullah, accompanied by Christine Weaver, the exhibition director of Halal World Expo, met exhibitors from the UAE and around the world, visiting their stands and country pavilions and finding out more about why Halal World Expo is an important event for their business.

“We are very pleased to have welcomed so many visitors to the first day of the event” said Christine Weaver, from IIR Middle East. “We have been able to provide a multidimensional Halal experience for business professionals and consumers who can meet industry giants from the UK, Canada, the USA, Pakistan, Brunei, Malaysia, Germany and France. Halal World Expo has combined Halal Food products, Shari’ah compliant clothes, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals and Islamic Finance under one roof.

 “It is important to bring businesses in this global industry together so that relationships can be established, which are relevant both from a regional and global perspective.” Weaver continued.

Mumtaz, a UK-based company exhibiting at the event, is attracting attention with their new range of Halal meat baby food, a product developed in an effort to help combat baby anemia which is more prevalent in Muslim babies; while Marhaba Halal Foods, a Dutch business, has been very popular with sweet-toothed Muslim visitors.

Companies from South Africa and North America, S.A Halal Marketing Consultants and Midamar Corporation respectively, are presenting options to Halal industries wishing to expand into other countries and giving advice about targeting non-Halal markets.

Representatives from Halal regulatory bodies in Brunei and Malaysia, as well as speakers and a panel discussion at the Global Halal & Islamic Business Forum discussed the need for international Halal certification standards.

In addition, the Forum covered the potential for growth in Halal and Islamic industries, led by Irfan Sungkar, the head of research and strategic projects, who spoke about the major markets for Halal and Islamic products.

Halal World Expo features Shari’ah compliant lifestyle products, including fashion, cosmetics and other healthcare items, as the demand for Halal certified goods continues to grow in the UAE.  The exhibition also gives focus to Islamic Finance, which is currently worth between $200 and $500 billion annually and continues to be a consistently growing interest for financial markets across the world.

The Global Halal and Islamic Business Forum runs alongside the Halal World Expo in Abu Dhabi.  The exhibition is an annual landmark event opening the gateway for the Middle East market to the international Halal industry.--TradeArabia News Service