With the UAE all set to introduce a label to certify halal products, the halal industry is eagerly waiting for the first major gathering of scholars, government bodies and industry experts since the move was announced.
The 3rd OIC Halal Middle East Exhibition & Congress, which will be held at Expo Centre Sharjah from December 8 to 10, 2014, will be an invaluable platform for manufacturers, dealers, retailers and industry professionals to gain insights into the implementation of the move.
It is also significant since different countries that produce and supply halal products follow different standards for qualifying a product, thus making it difficult for consumers to identify a product – whether food or a banking scheme or even cosmetics – as truly halal.
“However, with the UAE deciding to launch the national mark as part of the UAE Scheme for Halal Products, that obstacle will soon be a thing of past. The unified halal standards will also act as a catalyst to accelerate the growth of the halal industry,” said Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah .
Held under the patronage of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the 3rd OIC Halal Middle East Exhibition & Congress will consist of a trade fair and a congress, a series of specialized workshops and a complementary show, the 2nd Kitchen Equipment & Technology Exhibition Middle East.
This year, the show is hosting more than 125 exhibitors from Algeria, Austria, Egypt, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE and US.
To be held under the theme ‘Opening doors to the trillion dollar market’, the 3rd Halal Congress Middle East will be the meeting place for major halal producers and buyers, scholars, ministers, senior officials of halal bodies, and several associations & certification entities.
In eight sessions, the Congress will discuss topics like ‘Transforming halal logos into real brands’, ‘Industry issues, concerns and their solutions’, ‘Growth and future development of halal food in non-OIC countries’, ‘Role of research scientific institutions in halal product analysis’, ‘Global halal industry trend’, & ‘Misconceptions about halal’.
“Delegates can expect to hear from senior officials of Islamic Center for Development of Trade, Federation of GCC Chambers, International Islamic Halal Authority, United World Halal Development-Singapore, IFANCA, ESMA, Nippon Asia Halal Association and South Africa National Halal Authority, among others,” added Mr. Midfa.
The Chefs Tech Arena, which will be held in association with International Centre for Culinary Arts as part of the 2nd Kitchen Equipment & Technology Exhibition Middle East, will feature a ‘Basics of meat preparation workshop’.
The workshop, to be held on December 9 from 2pm to 4pm, will host Chef Tariq and provide insights into preparing cuts and different fabrication methods of meat carcass.
The Halal Middle East exhibition will also host special pavilions from countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Libya and Iran. The exhibition will be open from 10am to 6pm daily from 8 to 10 December 2014 at Expo Centre Sharjah. Admission is to free for all trade and professional visitors only.
