‘Halal Expo 2009’ opens today

This year, the exhibition aims to serve as a platform to strengthen the
presence of ‘Halal’ products within the global catering, hospitality,
food and beverage, health and pharmaceuticals industries.

With
recent studies revealing the number of Halal consumers worldwide to
have reached 1.8 billion and annual sales hitting $580bn, Halal-product
exporters and manufacturers from across the globe have identified the
extensive opportunity in participating in this year’s ‘Halal Expo’.
Among the top global companies present are Halal food manufacturers
Amadeh Laziz (Iran) and Khazan (
UAE),
and beef producers Real Food Company Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) and JES
(Japan), which is highlighting its top quality ‘Wagyu’ products. Other
participating companies are from Argentina, China, Egypt, France,
Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Pakistan, The
Philippines, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, KSA, USA and the UK.

“Through
the years, ‘Halal Expo’ has played an important role of bringing
together leading manufacturers and buyers to encourage ‘Halal’ trade.
However, this year’s event hold a significant importance given the
current economic situation and the outstanding potential of this market
to grow further as a major income-generating industry for Halal
goods-producing countries,”

said Raees Ahmed, Director, Orange Fairs & Events.

“With
the wide array of world-class products and services on display, it is
clear that the market continues to mature, and I am confident that
‘Halal Expo 2009’ will catalyse a number of important partnerships and
deals, which will boost this year’s Halal trade across the continents,”
Raees Ahmed added.

‘Halal Expo 2009’ features Shari’ah compliant
products, with the launch of Halal logistics by MISC, one of the top
five shipping companies in the world and is among the participating
Malaysian exhibitors, deemed as one of the key highlights of the
exhibition. In addition to expanding their global network,
participating companies are also focusing on leveraging the Middle East
as a leading market for Halal products and exploring more effective
means to establish a strong presence within the region.

Aside
from manufacturers and service providers, regional and international
Halal Certification Authorities, Chambers of Commerce, and
International Halal Associations such as Islamic Food and Nutrition
Council of America (IFANCA), Dubai Municipality, Islamic Services of
America, Islamic Food Council of Europe, and Halal Food Authority – UK
are also participating at the event.

“We are thrilled by the
level of activity we are seeing in the exhibition hall, which
exemplifies the stability of the Middle East Halal market. We would
like to thank our exhibitors for their presence and the trade visitors
for their continuing support. The third staging of this event proved to
be the biggest so far, and we remain committed to the growth of this
event to sustainably address the needs of both the regional and global
Halal markets,” concluded Ahmed.

In addition to providing a
suitable platform for networking among key industry players, Dubai’s
growing role in promoting the Halal industry is also driven by the
emirate’s strong strides in addressing the need for credible and
professional Halal certification and formation of Halal certification
bodies.

In line with the Dubai’s commitment to the growth of
the global Halal industry, the event will also host on its second day,
two interactive seminars on ‘Halal Brand Equity’, which will be
conducted by Jalal Aossey from Midamar Corporation USA and ‘Import and
Re-export requirements for foodstuff’ which will be conducted by Safwan
Saifudeen – Food Safety Specialist from Dubai Municipality.