Emirates News Agency
DUBAI, 27th February, 2017 (WAM) — Dubai Municipality has organised a ceremony at its stall at the Gulfood 2017 exhibition to distribute accreditation certificates to the certification bodies that oversee halal food products all over the world.
In the presence of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Municipality, Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, handed over the accreditation certificates to a number of companies, in addition to the first local company in the country that approves halal products.
According to Lootah, who is also chairman of the Emirates International Accreditation Centre, it is a new start for halal accreditation as the centre provides its services worldwide and follows specific criteria, including the UAE and the GCC specifications as well as international standards for halal products.
“This will qualify the accredited products with the credentials to open up new international markets, thus increasing the centre’s imprint in the world of accreditation of international halal products and achieving its objectives besides making Dubai the capital of Islamic economics,” he said.
Amina Ahmed Mohammed, Executive Director of the Emirates International Accreditation Centre, said the centre has a specific role in verifying the efficiency of halal certification companies and bodies.
“Our experts evaluate the certification bodies in terms of their efficiency in executing halal certifications besides making sure of the transparency and independence in carrying out their tasks, which include ensuring that the halal products match international as well as domestic specifications,” she added.
Mohammed also confirmed that the centre is working on expanding the scope of halal certification service to all countries, with a targeted plan to increase the number of halal certification bodies across the world to 35 by the end of the year, so that the centre can achieve the emirate’s vision to be the capital of Islamic economy.
Eng. Alya Al Marzouqi, Head of Accreditation Section and also in charge of the Halal Accreditation project at the Emirates International Accreditation Centre, explained that the strategic plan of the centre is in line with the UAE’s plan to be one of the best countries in the world by 2021, and the halal accreditation is inseparable from the safety and quality requirements, whether for food or personal care products.
WAM/Majok
