Exporters from Malaysia, the world’s largest producer and exporter of Halal food products, are going to showcase the country's multi-billion dollar Halal industry, that last year recorded US$9.79 billion worth of Halal exports worldwide, at the 9th edition of the Halal Expo Dubai to be held on September 18th and 19th at the Roda Al Bustan Hotel near Dubai International Airport.

Malaysia will be represented by 15 ready-to-export entrepreneurs at the national pavilion at the Expo, widening the choice of Halal products for local importers and consumers in the UAE and the Gulf.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries is leading the country’s participation, representing Halal food, cosmetics and the pharmaceuticals sectors.

Globally, Muslim expenditure on food and beverage was estimated at US$1.12 billion in 2014 and potentially rising to US$1.58 billion in 2020. Muslim expenditure makes up 16.7 percent of global expenditure on F&B in 2014. Malaysia’s external Halal F&B sector is of critical importance, as F&B was Malaysia’s top Halal export in 2015, followed by palm oil derivatives and Halal ingredients.

Globally, the Muslim market for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics is valued at US$54 billion or seven percent of global expenditure. The cumulative average growth rate for this sector is 6.8 percent between 2014 and 2020, in which Malaysia ranks just behind Singapore and Egypt.

"Halal products exposition always evokes a strong interest amongst Malaysian producers of Halal products due to the country’s leadership in this sector. Malaysia, a pioneer in the global Halal movement, will demonstrate its leadership in Halal food, beverage, Halal cosmetics and Halal pharmaceuticals products at Halal Expo Dubai this year," Shahid bin Abu Bakar, Consul of Agriculture at the Consulate-General of Malaysia, said.

The UAE is one of the Malaysia's largest trading partner among the GCC countries with a total trade around AED21.6 billion.

Halal Expo Dubai is the largest and most comprehensive Business-to-Business Halal exposition in the Middle East for the US$2.3 trillion global halal industry. The event, which attracted participation from 13 countries in its previous edition and registered 3,700 trade visitors from 40 countries, expects larger trade participation where buyers and sellers of halal products and services are expected to do brisk business.