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Sharjah Congress To Champion Cause Of Unified Halal Code |
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Draws participants from 31 countries; features 6 technical sessionsClose on the heels of getting mandates from the Organization of the Islamic Conference to prepare unified standards for Halal food and cosmetics, the UAE is in the global limelight again, thanks to the Halal Congress Middle East that has brought together the most influential and authoritative minds on Halal markets and standards to Sharjah. The inaugural two-day Halal Congress Middle East got under way on Tuesday, December 11 at Expo Centre Sharjah and is running concurrently with the Halal Food Middle East. UAE Minister of Education H.E. Humaid Al Qutami was the guest of honour at the opening ceremony. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Haji Abdul Malik Kassim, Minister for Penang State Government, Malaysia, and Chairman, Penang International Halal Hub, Malaysia; Dr. El Hassane Hzaine, Director-General ICDT (Islamic Centre for Development of Trade of OIC); and Saeed Obaid Al Jarwan, Second Vice Chairman, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry & Expo Centre Sharjah. “While the focus was on the multitude of business opportunities associated with one of the fastest growing industries in the world, the need for a unified standards system was heard loud and clear since all stakeholders in the industry very well know that a single Halal standard will ultimately harmonise exports and imports and ease market access to several regions,” said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah. Held under the theme ‘Halal — global standard for quality, hygiene and safety’, the Congress’ inaugural session was addressed by Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of OIC; Humaid Al Qutami, UAE Minister of Education; Makhdoom Amin Faheem, Senior Minister and Federal Minister for Commerce, Pakistan; and Dr. Mustafa Ceric, The Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1993 to 2012); and Saif Mohammed Al Midfa. In the wake of UAE’s Emirates Standardisation and Metrology Authority (ESMA) being mandated by OIC to draw up unified Halal codes for perfumes & cosmetics and food standards, the technical sessions on ‘Halal standards’ on day one of the congress and the session on ‘Halal cosmetics and pharmaceuticals’ on day two assumed significance to all stakeholders. The session on ‘Halal cosmetics and pharmaceuticals’ scheduled for the second day of the congress, Dec 12, will be moderated by Farah Al Zarooni, Director of Standards Department (ESMA), Chairperson of OIC’s Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) Technical Committee for Halal Food, and Head of the Secretariat on Halal Cosmetics - SMIIC. “A graduate in chemistry and a post-graduate in public administration, Farah Al Zarooni’s role at ESMA is crucial in formulating and issuing UAE national standards and technical regulations. She is part of the technical committee that consists of industry experts and Islamic scholars who are working together to prepare a draft code for perfumes and cosmetics, which, once approved by OIC, will be a point of reference for firms around the world to market their products in Islamic countries. The session will be an enriching experience for all attendees,” said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa. The session will also look into challenges facing the Halal pharmaceutical industry, emerging Halal markets of cosmetics & personal care and animal cloning and its effect on Halal status of food. Delegates from 31 countries are attending the congress from Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia, Canada, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, KSA, Kuwait, Malaysia, Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE, UK and USA, while Halal experts, scientists and scholars from 12 countries are making presentations. In the first technical session, moderated by Makhdoom Amin Faheem, Senior Minister and Federal Minister for Commerce, Pakistan, an overview of opportunities in the American Halal market was presented by Dr. Mian Nadeem Riaz, Director, Food Protein R & D Center, A & M University, (representing IFANCA USA). “The US Halal market opportunities are largely untapped. Halal consumers spend US$ 20 billion on food in the US each year but manufacturers are yet to fully tap into this affluent market segment,” said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, quoting IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America). “The speaker presented an in-depth assessment of ground realities in the US and the prospects and pitfalls in the market,” he said. According to a study carried out by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, the number of Muslims in America rose to 2.6 million in 2010 from one million in 2000, underscoring the potential for growth in both sales and regulatory infrastructure within the country. On export front, while Australia, New Zealand and Brazil have long been established as major suppliers to Halal markets worldwide, the US lags behind by a considerable gap The session was followed by presentations on Halal opportunities. “The global Halal industry is estimated at US$ 2.77 trillion and growing more than 20 per cent annually. It caters to about 1.6 billion consumers worldwide. Delegates had an in-depth session on the potential of the industry and opportunities awaiting them across the world,” said Asad Sajjad, CEO of Halal Development Council and Co-Organizer of the Halal Congress Middle East. The second technical session, chaired by Haji Abdul Malik Kassim, focused on Halal standards, while the third session, moderated by Dr. Ibrahim S. Al-Mohizea, Vice-President, Food Affairs, Saudi Food & Drug Authority, KSA, discussed Halal food. On the second day, apart from the session on cosmetics and pharma, the other topics include Halal trade promotion and an interactive discussion featuring Dr. Mustafa Ceric, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Ahmed Mohammed al Midfa, Chairman, SCCI; Moulana M.S. Navlakhi, Theological Director, South African National Halal Authority, and Dr. Munir Chaudry, President, IFANCA. The Halal Congress is being held alongside the Halal Food Middle East, which opened a day earlier on December 10, and is showcasing more than 90 exhibitors from 26 countries like Algeria, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Holland, India, Iran, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE, UK, Ukraine and US. Renowned international Halal certifying bodies such as IFANCA-US, Halal Control EU-Germany, Halal Italia-Italy, South African National Halal Authority (SANHA) - South Africa, Standards and Metrology Institute For Islamic Countries (SMIIC) - Turkey, Halal Products & Services Association of Pakistan (HAP)-Pakistan are also taking part in the event. Special pavilions at the show include that of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, IFANCA, Halal Italia and IMP Malaysia |
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