Halal World Expo opens in Abu Dhabi

Organised by IIR Middle East and taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the three-day event is pertinent to all buyers and suppliers interested in expanding their businesses in the world's fastest growing industry sector, which already reaches 1.8 billion consumers worldwide.

Halal World Expo features Shari'ah compliant lifestyle products, including fashion, hospitality management, publishing, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

The exhibition also gives a strong focus to Islamic finance, currently worth between $200 and $500bn annually and showing notable resilience in the face of the recent global downturn.

"We are very pleased to have welcomed so many visitors to the first day of the event," said Christine Weaver, Exhibition Director for Halal World Expo.

"We have been able to provide a broadly ranging and diverse Halal experience for business professionals and consumers who can meet multinational giants and smaller regional producers under one roof."

The second edition of Halal World Expo 2008 features over 50 exhibitors from countries across the globe, including Brunei, Kuwait, Malawi, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Palestine, Philippines, Turkey, UAE, the UK, the USA and Serbia.

This year's event has attracted both regional exhibitors and industry leaders like Nestlé, the food and healthcare multinational.

Added Weaver: "It is important to bring together businesses in this worldwide industry to establish relationships which are relevant both from a regional and global perspective. That we have major players like Nestlé at the exhibition demonstrates the importance that industry leaders see in the production of Halal products."

Nestlé's Corporate Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Manager, Dr Hassan Bayrakdar said: "This really is an unmissable opportunity for us to demonstrate that all Nestlé products existing in the Middle East market are Halal. Seventy-five Nestlé plants around the world are now Shari'ah compliant which reflects our commitment to Halal living."

Running alongside the exhibition is the Halal World Expo Forum, bringing together experts from a broad spectrum of industries to address key issues and provide specific practical solutions for sustainable growth and development across the many fields of this diverse industry.

The first day of the exhibition provided visitors with an informative session on UAE rules and regulations for Halal accreditation abroad, led by Dr. Abdulla S. Ruwaida, Public Health and Environment Consultant for the UAE General Secretariat of Municipalities.

Later in the day there was a discussion on Halal control measures in Bahrain, as well as a crucial platform for discussing possible global Halal certification led by Darhim Bin Hashim, CEO of the International Halal Integrity Alliance Ltd. Islamic finance took centre-stage in the afternoon forum, with well-attended presentations by NBD Capital and the GISBA Group.

The exhibition is an annual landmark event opening the gateway for the Middle East market to the international Halal industry.