Qatar has “great potential” as a key investor in the Philippines’ burgeoning halal sector, a participant of the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2025 has said.Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of MIHAS 2025, The Expo Hut CEO Nasser Deeb cited Qatar’s robust appetite for pouring investments abroad and the Philippines’ favourable investment climate, outlining a vision for Qatari FDI that moves beyond simple trade and into high-value ventures.“Qatar is well-positioned to invest in two specific areas: halal retirement and manufacturing,” explained Deeb, who proposed the development of “halal retirement homes” and “halal resorts” in the Philippines. This concept has been gaining traction in Canada and elsewhere, he pointed out.“These facilities would cater to Muslim retirees seeking an environment free from alcohol and pork, and they could combine the benefits of a retirement community with the amenities of a resort, offering a high quality of life at a fraction of the cost found in other countries like Spain,” Deeb further explained.On the manufacturing front, Deeb suggested that Qatari entities could establish factories in the Philippines to produce and package goods like rice and coffee beans, allowing Qatar to create its own brands or private labels by leveraging the Philippines’ resources and its free zone facilities, such as those offered by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).On several occasions, Deeb said he actively encouraged Qatari officials, including Qatar’s ambassador to the Philippines, to explore investment opportunities in various sectors of the country and to participate in Philippine trade shows to educate the public about Qatar.“Creating more awareness and promoting the investment climate of both the Philippines and Qatar during trade shows would be a strategic step toward building a strong economic partnership between both nations,” emphasised Deeb, who organises the ‘Halal Expo Canada’ and the ‘Halal Expo Philippines’.The 21st edition of MIHAS, which will run until September 20 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), has placed special emphasis on the agenda of helping local and international players look to innovation and sustainable initiatives to spearhead steady growth for the halal economy.MIHAS 2025 is also serving as a robust marketplace for both international and local players to seize opportunities beyond halal food, including halal pharmaceuticals, medical devices, finance, modest fashion, personal care and cosmetics, green technologies, and even Muslim-friendly tourism.Similarly, the Philippines is also expanding beyond halal food to venture into sectors such as Islamic finance. In 2023, an economic team of experts from the Philippines visited Qatar for the ‘PH Dialogue: Economic Outlook and Opportunities’, where lawyer Arifa A Ala, the Senior Assistant Governor, Financial Supervision Sub-Sector III of the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas, stated that the Philippine government is eyeing the Gulf region as a new market for the country’s Islamic banking sector.During a presentation at the PH Dialogue, she stated that significant developments in the Philippines’ Islamic banking and finance sector have “set the stage” to welcome new players, including banks from Qatar.