With wide international participation, Istanbul hosts “Expo” events for halal products

The Turkish city of Istanbul is hosting the ninth edition of the International Halal Expo and the World Halal Summit, under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency, with 500 leading companies from 45 countries participating in the four-day event.

Over the course of 4 days, the city of Istanbul will host the activities of the ninth edition of the International Halal Expo and the World Halal Summit, sponsored by the Turkish Presidency and continuing until next Sunday.

The exhibition's activities will be held at the Istanbul Exhibition Center next to Ataturk International Airport, with the participation of more than 500 Turkish and international companies representing 40 countries, and 40,000 visitors are expected to participate in the exhibition from outside Turkey.

Major investors in the industry, healthcare institutions, travel agencies, hospitals and experts also participate. The event also includes the Global Halal Summit and direct bilateral meetings.

The exhibition witnesses participation from companies from various countries of the world, and Arab communities and Arab civil society organizations participate in the exhibition. The first edition of the Eurasia Medical Tourism Exhibition was also opened.

The opening session was attended by Turkish Trade Minister Omer Polat, who delivered a speech in which he stressed the importance of effectiveness at the international level and the Islamic world.

Halal market

Emre Ete, Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Exhibition and Summit, said: “We welcome you to the Halal Expo and World Summit, entitled Uncovering Opportunities in the Halal Trade Economy, and it also includes a medical tourism exhibition.”

He added: "These events are held under the direct sponsorship of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as this has contributed to the events reaching this level, in addition to the support of Turkish state institutions."

He said, "The greatest responsibility of a Muslim is to live in a halal circle, and for that it is necessary for him to attain a halal summit, which includes peace, mercy, love, blessing, good deeds, and the strength of truth, and is based on the principle of shared profit."

He stated that what Palestine is witnessing "cannot be tolerated through brutal Israeli practices. They are an example of injustice and the tyranny of the powerful, and not the control of the right as permissible, and the international community must take steps to bring about peace."

He explained, "The halal market is not only important to Muslims but to all consumers, and in Turkey there is an effort to encourage this trade and turn Turkey into a center in this regard. We say from Istanbul that halal is not just stickers, but rather a work of values, integrity and ethics."

He concluded by saying: “Today, the volume of halal trade in the world has exceeded $7 trillion. We hope that in the next five years it will exceed $10 trillion.”

For his part, Ihsan Ogut, Secretary General of the Institute of Standards and Metrology for Islamic Countries, said: “We are working on procedures for granting declarations and documents for products that meet the appropriate standards for halal products, and to address the challenges in the modern world, as technical committees meet and address developments related to registering standards in the Islamic world.”

He continued: “We are also working to develop the Institute’s work and its relations with international organizations, and we work with all our energy through our team to meet the ongoing needs to set standards for halal and provide appropriate certificates for them. This summit plays an important role in this regard and in developing the halal culture according to scientific foundations.”

Common brand

Riad Al-Soussi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Saudi Institute for Standardization, Metrology and Quality, stressed the necessity of establishing new cooperation between the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Saudi Institute for Standardization, Metrology and Quality to create a joint brand with their logos.

“Halal standards can be strengthened by ensuring that this brand is recognized by all halal consumers and that SMEs use this brand,” Al-Sousi said.

According to what was revealed in the Halal Economy Report of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia succeeded in securing positions among the top 20 exporters of halal products.

Regarding the high consumer demand for halal products, this event represents a strong opportunity for investment, production and export among OIC countries by establishing a cooperative platform and showcasing the market potential.

Prime Minister arrived in UAE to promote political, defense and economic ties

According to a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Office, the purpose of this visit is to promote cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar arrived in Abu Dhabi today (Sunday) on a three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he was received by Justice Minister Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi.

The purpose of the visit is to promote cooperation between Pakistan and UAE in various fields.

According to a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Office, during his visit, the Pakistani Prime Minister will meet with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Al Nahan and other senior officials .

According to the statement, these meetings will help to advance bilateral relations in all fields including political, economic, trade, investment, cultural, defense and people-to-people relations.

The Foreign Office added: 'In this visit, cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE in the fields of energy, port operations projects, waste water treatment, food security, logistics, mining, aviation and banking and financial services will be discussed. Memoranda of understanding will be signed in various sectors.

Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have a deep and long-standing relationship. The UAE is Pakistan's third largest trading partner after China and the US.

Pakistan's policy makers also see the UAE as an ideal export destination due to its geographical proximity.

There are an estimated 1.8 million Pakistanis living in the UAE, which is the largest remittance recipient after Saudi Arabia.

During the visit, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar will also present Pakistan's position at the important session of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP-28) held in the United Arab Emirates on December 1 and 2 regarding global climate change.

Earlier, during a meeting in Islamabad, the caretaker prime minister had directed the relevant authorities this week to make full preparations to effectively present Pakistan's position during the COP-28 on climate finance and other issues.