‘International Halal Accreditation Forum’ in Singapore Discusses Halal Ttrade Promotion

Singapore, MINA — During its third meeting that was held in Singapore, the International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) discussed ways of promoting international cooperation and coordination related to halal accreditation criteria, WAM reported.

The meeting was chaired by Mohammed Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Shehhi, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Economy for Economic Affairs and Chairman of the Forum.

The forum, which discussed a range of topics on its agenda, aims to promote the halal industry and support the global trade in halal products. The meeting also approved the membership of the official halal accreditation authorities of Indonesia, Russia, Colombia and Kyrgyzstan, which are now among the forum’s 31 official members.

The Dubai-based forum is an independent international non-governmental network, which was established in 2016 as part of the “Dubai: The Capital of the Islamic Economy” initiative that was launched by the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Al Shehhi said that the forum is continuing its leading and growing role in building a global network for promoting dialogue and coordination on the criteria, mechanisms and procedures applied by countries in the area of halal accreditation, as well as in promoting the efforts to achieve mutual acknowledgment between relevant official authorities, and cooperation and the exchange of expertise on the best practise, and ways of enhancing the partnerships between countries in this area.

Al Shehhi highlighted the importance of the outcomes of the forum’s third meeting, which witnessed the official membership of four official accreditation authorities from new countries that will support the forum’s strategies and the economies of its member countries, as well as promote the halal industry globally. Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population at 230 million, has the largest economy in Southeast Asia, and is one of the world’s key emerging economies. Russia, the world’s largest country with over 30 million Muslims, along with Kyrgyzstan and Colombia, are important additions to the forum.        (T/RS5/RS1)