A unified pan-Arab framework for the mutual recognition of halal products and services certificates was announced in the UAE on Monday in a step aiming to enhance the competitiveness of halal food in international markets.

 

The announcement of the programme was made at the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization pavilion in the 4th Global Halal Industry Platform organised by Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA).

 

The UAE aims at globalising the halal Industry, even as the halal food and beverages market is set to reach a value of $2.5 trillion this year, according to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The GCC countries alone import $50 billion worth of halal products. 

 

"The Global Halal Industry Platform, being held in conjunction with Gulfood Dubai, is considered a meeting point for the most prominent global players in the halal industry. It also represents a major opportunity to exchange ideas and visions of growth, with over 1.6 billion Muslims around the world consuming halal food products," said ESMA's director general Abdulla Al Maeeni.

 

He added that the UAE has for years been leading efforts in this sector and launched the 'Dubai as the Capital of Islamic Economy' initiative in 2013. It also established the 'Dubai Islamic Economy Development Center' as well as the 'International Halal Accreditation Forum' which includes 32-member states.

 

Al Maeeni said that the UAE has also strengthened its ranking in the Global Islamic Economy Indicator, as part of its post-oil production vision. In fact, the country was the first to establish and implement the world's first halal food system with standards and practices in the fields of accreditation, certification and evaluation. - TradeArabia News Service