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Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean in 2025 is poised to catalyse a new era of cross-regional halal collaboration, particularly between Southeast Asia and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, the top official of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has said.Asked about Qatar’s growing role in halal innovation and its strategic investment across Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) markets, and how Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship and MATRADE’s leadership open new pathways for cross-regional halal collaboration between Southeast Asia and the Gulf, MATRADE chairman Reezal Merican Naina Merican told Gulf Times that the two regions are seen as the “main beacon” and “main catalyst” in promoting halal globally.Merican noted that the GCC pavilion "includes participation from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, among others," while the Asean pavilion reflects robust regional engagement, with “300” buyers and “600” exhibitors from Asean countries participating in the International Sourcing Programme (INSP), a main component of the 21st Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), which will run until September 20 at the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC).“Altogether, out of about 900 [buyers], 300 are coming from Asean. Out of 2,400 exhibitors, 600 are from ASEAN countries,” said Merican, who also highlighted the presence of "first-time participants from Africa and Latin America, including Ghana, Mali, Congo, Senegal, Nigeria, Panama, and Costa Rica, as well as Central Asian nations, such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan."“We are seeing a very productive, fruitful, and more importantly, long and lasting partnership between Malaysian exporters and overseas buyers,” the MATRADE chairman also pointed out.Merican also revealed that Asean has elevated halal as a priority economic deliverable under Malaysia’s presidency, with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi proposing the establishment of an Asean Halal Council.“Not just to look at Malaysia as one of the main and premier promoters of halal, but to see Asean as a region being one of the major players in promoting and also in providing the support of a global halal chain globally,” he said.Merican also highlighted the scale of MIHAS 2025’s INSP, which is expected to generate 2.5bn Malaysian ringgit in sales through more than 4,000 business meetings. Asean countries account for 300 buyers and 600 exhibitors, while GCC participation is described as “significant,” with Qatar among the key contributors.

As many as seven companies from Qatar will participate in the upcoming Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2025, scheduled from September 17 to 20 at the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur.The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) office in Qatar disclosed to Gulf Times that the participating companies from Doha are Lari Group, Qatar National Import & Export (QNIE), Al Majid Jawad Distribution & Marketing, Magic Touch, Tanit Group, IBRIDGE Trading, and Morex Group.Following previous business meetings between Malaysian companies under MATRADE and their Qatari counterparts under the Qatar Chamber, “MATRADE has observed that all Qatari companies feel comfortable and secure when engaging with Malaysian companies certified as halal” by the Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) or the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia.MATRADE also informed this paper that it is targeting Qatar “as one of the top prominent markets” in the region to increase awareness about JAKIM’s “vital role in promoting the importance of halal products in daily healthy life.”“MATRADE is also expanding a wide range of business opportunities to halal-concerned Malaysian corporations and organisations, especially to a highly respected entity like Qatar Chamber,” it stated.According to MATRADE, JAKIM, which is “recognised by the Food Safety Department” under the Ministry of Public Health, “stands as one of the world’s most influential and respected authorities in Islamic affairs, particularly in the domain of halal certification and standardisation.“Established under the Prime Minister’s Department, JAKIM plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the integrity of Islamic principles in Malaysia while shaping the global halal landscape with its internationally recognised standards.”Last week, MATRADE Qatar hosted a webinar titled ‘The Importance of Halal Products in our Lives’. The session aimed to provide Malaysian companies with insights into the Qatari market – recognised as a key target for halal products – highlighting the growing awareness and positive reception of halal-certified goods among the Qatari population.The webinar was organised by Rami el-Sayegh, senior marketing manager at MATRADE Qatar, and moderated by Shafiq Nasarudin, assistant trade commissioner at MATRADE Dubai. During the webinar, Jaffar Waqqas, category supervisor at QNIE, outlined the requirements and procedures for exporting food products to the Qatari market and emphasised the importance of halal certifications within the Qatari community.“The 21st edition of MIHAS will be a four-day trade showcase held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, alongside the MIHAS Virtual platform,” according to its website, which added that the event “is poised to attract one of the highest participations ever.”During a briefing session with foreign missions and industry players held last month in Kuala Lumpur, MATRADE emphasised that “MIHAS 2025 is gaining remarkable traction, with projections pointing to more than 2,300 booths from 45 countries, an impressive leap beyond the 2,028 booths featured in the last edition.”MIHAS 2025, under the theme ‘Pinnacle of Halal Excellence’, will highlight innovation, sustainability, and digitalisation as key drivers of growth.”“Its enhanced Knowledge Hub will advance knowledge exchange, halal investment, and policy alignment, whereas their targeted International Sourcing Programme (INSP) will empower Malaysian exporters with access to curated international buyers, powered by the MADANI Digital Trade (MDT) Platform for real-time matching and analytics, ensuring greater efficiency and resilience in business matching,” MATRADE added.Ends