Halal showcase to be held in Singapore

Asia World News

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Singapore - Singapore is holding its first exhibition aimed at capturing a bigger share of the lucrative halal food industry from January 24-27, organizers said Monday. About 100 firms from such countries as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei have signed up for the event, hosted by the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Halal, an Arabic term, most commonly refers to food allowed under Islamic law. While the food industry is heavily represented, participants also hail from such sectors as cosmetics, personal care, logistics, health care and tourism.

source : http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/169930.html

El Hema exhibition attracts 50,000 visitors

Monday 07 January 2008

The exhibition El Hema in Amsterdam, which closed on Sunday, attracted 50,000 visitors, according to organisers Mediamatic.

‘We are a small organisation and that is a very good result for us,’ a spokesman told news service ANP.

El Hema, which opened in August, was an Arabic version of the Dutch high street store Hema, selling halal smoked sausage, Arabic chocolate letters and ‘three Palestinian shawls for the price of two’.

The exhibition was first opposed by the Hema group, but it later gave full support.

source : http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2008/01/el_hema_exhibition_attracts_50.php

Panel to issue halal food guidelines

By Shakir Husain, Staff Reporter
Published: December 24, 2007, 22:58

Dubai: An industry panel has been set up to issue guidelines on how halal food is produced and sold, a move that seeks to streamline the estimated $500 billion a year global market.

Delegates attending the recent Global Halal and Islamic Business Forum in Abu Dhabi called for the setting up of “monitoring offices” around the world to work with “recognised Islamic centres to conform to the halal protocols for all foodstuffs to be imported into the GCC region.”

Halal literally means what is permissible in Islam and halal food must be free from alcohol, pork and other substances Muslims are prohibited from consuming.

Khalid Al Zamoul, a representative of Kuwait Municipality, said a committee will be formed to enforce guidelines of the Muslim World League, a Makkah-based organisation, regarding the slaughter of animals and food production in accordance with Sharia.

According to a statement issued by the forum organisers yesterday, the responsibilities of the new committee will include the development and implementation of educational programmes for food manufacturers.

Forum

The forum, which ran alongside Halal World Expo this month, was attended by Khalid Sharif Awadi from Dubai Municipality, UAE food safety consultant Amin Mohammad Yousuf and Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah Ali from Bahrain’s Ministry of Health.

“The halal industry needs this kind of platform to discuss vital issues affecting businesses throughout the world. The discussions will have a direct impact on the growth and direction of the global halal industry. What happens in the Middle East will have an immediate knock on effect to standards around the world,” said Abdul Hamid David Evans, a halal industry expert and managing director of Imarat consulting firm.

Leading food companies have intensified efforts to target Muslim consumers with their “halal” labels, leading to calls for stringent halal standards within the industry.

More than 80 per cent of the GCC’s total food imports are estimated to be in the halal category, according to industry sources.

Globally, the halal market is estimated to be $500 billion, with the food segment alone being $150 billion.

However, figures vary on the exact size of the market. The Port of Rotterdam Authority in the Netherlands, which seeks to promote its logistics facilities for the European halal supply chain, said the total annual consumption value of all halal products globally was more than 500 billion euros ($717 billion).

Outside key Muslim markets, Europe’s 30 million Muslims are seen as a lucrative segment of the halal market.

Nestle is among the first multinational firms that took a lead in having their products halal certified for Muslim consumers and uses Malaysia as its hub the halal business.

source : http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/12/25/10177235.html

Guidelines For Global Halal Industry

Delegates at the Global Halal and Islamic Business Forum have unanimously endorsed recommendations from the Gulf Standards Authority regarding global Halal industry guidelines.

A statement, read out by Mr. Khaled Al Zamoul from the Kuwait Municipality, confirmed that a committee will be formed to establish guidelines of the Muslim World League regarding Halal slaughter and food production.

In addition, it was recommended that centralised monitoring offices were set up around the world to work with recognized Islamic centres to conform to the Halal protocols for all foodstuffs to be imported into the GCC region.The Forum, which ran alongside Halal World Expo in Abu Dhabi, was attended by international representatives such as Khalid Sharif Awadi from the Municipality of Dubai, the UAE Food Safety Consultant Dr. Amin Mohamed Yousef and Dr Abdulla Ahmed Abdulla Ali from the Ministry of Health in Bahrain.

The responsibilities of the new committee will include the development and implementation of educational programmes for manufacturers on the approved guidelines for Halal slaughter and processing as well as a recommendation for a mandate to ban the sale of Haram foods, such as pork and alcohol, in all Muslim countries in the GCC.

The statement was applauded and endorsed by delegates at the Forum, which was chaired by Abdalhamid David Evans, Managing Director of Imarat Consultants, and a resolution was unanimously passed to recommend the statement to the GCC authorities.

“The Halal industry needs this kind of platform to discuss vital issues affecting businesses throughout the world,” said Abdalhamid David Evans.  “The discussions here will have a direct impact on the growth and direction of the global Halal industry.  What happens in the Middle East will have an immediate knock on effect to standards around the world.”

The Global Halal and Islamic Business Forum was organised by IIR Middle East and took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.  Due to its success and delegate feedback, it is set to become an annual landmark event.  Halal World Expo will take place from 11-13 November 2008.  For more information, visit www.halalworldexpo.com.

source : http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/UAE/220273

Halal World Expo a big success

The success of Halal World Expo, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre last week, predicts even greater growth for this fast growing global industry sector.

GCC and UAE visitors came to the most comprehensive Halal exhibition, organised by IIR Middle East, to learn about the latest Halal products on the market, Shari’ah compliant foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fashion and Islamic finance.

“The Halal food market currently accounts for as much as 12 per cent of the global trade in food products,” said exhibition director for Halal World Expo Christine Weaver.

“The Muslim population is projected to constitute 30 per cent of the world’s population by 2025, meaning Halal food could easily account for 20 per cent of world trade in food products in the future,” added Weaver.

“Halal related businesses want to be a part of this growth, no matter where they are from. Exhibiting at Halal World Expo meant they were able to promote their products to the growing Halal-consuming population,” said Weaver.

Companies showcased new products, some for the first time in the UAE and the Middle East, such as ‘NONIONS’, supplied by All Needs General Trading LLC, a UAE based importer/ exporter.

Other products and services at the exhibition included UK-based Tahira Halal foods which displayed a diverse range of goods from frozen spring rolls to sardines, and UAE company, The Halal Exchange, providing international trade software which simplifies global trade for the Halal marketplace.

Halal World Expo also featured Shari’ah compliant fashion, cosmetics and healthcare products, as the demand for Halal certified items continues to grow in the UAE.

The exhibition also focuses on the Islamic finance sector, 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, which ran alongside the Halal World Expo in Abu Dhabi, held a post-forum workshop on the last day, addressing in detail the challenges, issues and trends when marketing Halal and Islamic products in Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

The exhibition is set to become an annual landmark event opening the gateway for the Middle East market to the international Halal industry. – TradeArabia News Service

source : http://www.tradearabia.com/news/FOOD_135796.html

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planning & economy undersecretary, mohammed omar abdullah, inaugurates halal world expo

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

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

Mr. 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.

source : http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/UAE/219775

Halal World Expo to set industry standards

Abu Dhabi, Dec 9 - The standards for the global ‘halal’ meat industry may take shape as major players from the multi-billion dollar industry assemble at the Halal World Expo in Abu Dhabi Sunday.

The three-day event at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre would provide a platform for showcasing a wide range of halal products, generally understood to be food permissible by Islamic law, news agency WAM reported.

It is often taken for granted that processed food and products available in supermarkets of Islamic countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are halal-compliant, unless stated as being for ‘non-Muslim’ consumption or use.

While there are systems in place to protect the consumer in the UAE, the fast growth in the halal consumer market means there is a demand for global standards for such products.

The issue will be high on the agenda of Halal World Expo as government agencies from countries such as Malaysia and Brunei, which have already formed regulatory bodies to verify halal products for consumers, come face to face with Middle East and overseas producers in Abu Dhabi.

Leading brand names such as Nestle and Tahira foods would be a part of an international exhibitor line-up that includes producers from Britain, the US, Pakistan, Croatia, Germany and the Gulf region.

The official delegations at the show include Brunei’s ministry of industry and primary resources, Malaysian ministry of entrepreneur and cooperative development, Croatian Chamber of Economy, South African Chamber of Commerce, Indonesian ministry of industry and Bosnian Agency for Halal Quality Certification.

As the Middle East is one of the main users of halal products with its dense concentration of Muslim consumers, there is a huge potential for the industry to produce and distribute high-quality products throughout the region and the world.

Halal World Expo would provide a gateway into this relatively untapped market. The event would also focus on Shariah-compliant lifestyle products, including Islamic fashion, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, recognising the growing demand of these products in the UAE.

Additionally, the event would also be focusing on Islamic finance, a sector that is evincing considerable interest from financial markets across the world. As the UAE positions itself as an international finance hub, the event is timely in bringing business leaders of the Islamic finance industry together.

Also running alongside the exhibition, the Global Halal and Islamic Business Forum will enable business professionals from finance and banking, food and beverage, textile, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, property, travel, leisure and healthcare to explore best practices in Islamic business.

source : http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/155624.html

Halal World, LabME and MEMEX open at ADNEC

Halal regulations and standardisation, the latest industrial machinery, tools and materials, and non-clinical analytical laboratory products take centre stage today as three high-profile conferences and exhibitions kick off at the state-of-the-art Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC).

Halal World, LabME and MEMEX will run concurrently at the new 25,000 square-metre venue, organised by IIR Middle East - a premier conference, exhibition and training organiser and one of ADNEC’s Foundation Partners.

The annual Halal World Expo, which will run from December 9 - 11, 2007, is one of the most comprehensive events dedicated to the Halal marketplace and provides a platform for Halal industry experts and traders to network with various business contacts in food production, clothing, food manufacture, lifestyle products and Islamic finance. A parallel discussion forum will highlight the relevance of improved regulations and standardisation across the increasingly culturally-diverse and health-minded Halal market, which caters to an estimated 300 million consumers globally.

The Laboratory Middle East (LabME) exhibition, running from December 9 - 12, 2007, will feature the latest in instrumentation, testing and laboratory products. LabME will depart from the formulaic dealer-distributor exhibition format and will instead be a target focused end-user show fostering interaction between exhibitors and visitors, to promote discussion of the technology, developments and issues currently facing the industry.

A number of multi-tracked conferences will run alongside LabME, examining a diverse range of scientific topics by prominent industry speakers, academia and government representatives.

The Middle East Manufacturing Exhibition (MEMEX) is a leading manufacturing sector trade show being held from December 9 - 12, 2007, and will showcase comprehensive manufacturing solutions, from machinery and machine tools, to automation and engineering services. The event will provide networking prospects for machinery and machine tool sales encompassing Gulf and global markets, with a confirmed exhibitor line-up derived from more than 11 countries.

ADNEC CEO, Simon Horgan, said
“We have certainly unveiled a comprehensive exhibition calendar this year, as we continue to welcome important industry events. In collaboration with our Foundation Partners, we are pleased to be hosting a broad spectrum of events that cater to diverse visitors - as it is one of our goals to fully engage the public in the ongoing activity here at ADNEC”

‘We are in the process of creating an even more ambitious event calendar in preparation for the completion of Phase 2 of our new venue next year, when we will double our exhibition space to become the largest exhibition venue in the Middle East.’

source : http://www.ameinfo.com/141094.html

Abu Dhabi to host exhibition on $2.1tr halal industry on Sunday

Staff Report
Published: December 07, 2007, 00:10

Dubai: Abu Dhabi will become the focal point for the $2.1 trillion a year global halal industry next week as leading manufacturers and suppliers assemble in the UAE capital to debate issues vital to the growth of the business worldwide.

Halal World Expo, the most comprehensive Middle East event to focus on the burgeoning halal industry, opens at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on Sunday, at a time when the industry is facing new challenges as its boundaries continued to expand.

As the Middle East positions itself as one of the premier users of quality halal products with its dense concentration of Muslim consumers, there is huge potential for the halal industry across the GCC to produce and distribute high quality, regulation certified halal products throughout the region.

The halal food market, which is worth $150 billion a year, will be the focus of the three-day event, with exhibitors from the areas of food production, canned products, agricultural products, dairy and meat products in the international exhibitor lined up.

The exhibition will also showcase halal lifestyle products including Islamic fashion, cosmetics - a market worth Dh2.06 billion in the UAE alone - as well as other healthcare products.

Islamic Finance, currently worth between $200 and $500 billion annually and a consistently growing interest for financial market across the world, will also be part of the exhibition.

Islamic finance is of interest to the halal industry as many companies seek Sharia-compliant financial products and services.

“We will offer both regional and international exhibitors a gateway to the Middle East and international markets”, said Christine Weaver, exhibition director.

source : http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Special_Events/10173035.html

PM: Malaysia, Indonesia & Thailand Can Capitalise On Halal Market

PENANG, Dec 6 (Bernama) — Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are well placed to capitalise on partnerships in the supply and marketing of halal products, particularly relating to food and herbal-based products.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said by working together, the three countries would be able to accelerate the development of a regional halal supply chain.

“For a start, it may be possible to collaborate by leveraging on Malaysia’s strength of halal certification, which will help in the production and distribution of halal products and services to Muslim customers around the world,” he said at the launch of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Conference and Expo 2007 here today.

Abdullah also said that 29 acres had been designated as a halal park in Padang Besar, Perlis, which may serve as a logistics gateway for halal products between northern Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand.

He said the Perlis state government, Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry, Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) and Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (Smidec) had been tasked to drive the development of the halal park.

Malaysian Prime Minister, accompanied by its International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz and Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, later witnessed the signing of three memoranda of understanding (MoU).

The first MoU was signed between the National Productivity Centre, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (Northern Branch), Penang Foundry and Engineering Industries Association, Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce, and Malaysia Indian Community Chamber of Business and Industry, Penang.

Its objective is to provide appropriate collaboration and interconnection between members and network associations.

The second MoU was inked between Smidec, Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry, HDC and Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) to carry out activities to enhance capabilities of SMEs in halal industry.

The third MoU signed between Smidec, Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry and HalMart is to promote HalMart as Malaysia’s first integrated halal retail outlet.

Earlier in her speech, Rafidah said the conference and exposition had secured RM9.35 million sales through 57 pre-arranged business-matching sessions yesterday.

She said out of the amount, 48.7 per cent came from the halal products and services sector.

More than 150 exhibitors from the three IMT-GT countries are taking part in the five-day exposition which started yesterday at the Penang International Sports Arena (PISA) while 500 participants are involved in the SME conference held at the Equatorial Hotel in Bukit Jambul here.

– BERNAMA

source : http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_business.php?id=300768