Malaysia halal expo eyes global expansion to tap Mena market

Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) will be crossing over its domestic borders this year to tap the burgeoning Middle East and North Africa (Mena) market, a top official has said.
Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, made the announcement during the MIHAS 2024 opening ceremony yesterday.
Officially opened by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the 20th edition of the event will run until September 20 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) here.
“After successfully organising 20 editions of MIHAS in Malaysia, we are excited to announce that MIHAS will expand beyond domestic borders with its in international debut known as ‘MIHAS@Dubai’,” Aziz said during his speech.
MIHAS is hosted annually by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia (MITI) and organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Aziz pointed out.
He said the Malaysian government aims to leverage Dubai’s position as a hub for the Mena market to facilitate the import and distribution of Malaysian-made goods throughout the region.
Aziz further said, “The export sales target for ‘MIHAS@Dubai’ is set at RM1bn and I am confident that the participating Malaysian companies will achieve this goal.”
Aside from Dubai, the minister noted that MATRADE is also planning to organise international MIHAS events in China and other countries in Europe. “I would also like to take this opportunity to share that MITI was mandated to lead Malaysia’s participation in the World Expo Osaka, as well as to champion the country’s economic thrust in conjunction with Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship next year.
“These two engagements also provide opportunities for Halal industry players to broaden their global presence through a business matching programme co-ordinated by MATRADE,” Aziz emphasised.
Malaysian companies are invited to participate in various Asean-related programmes in Malaysia and at the Osaka World Expo, which will run from April to October 2025, the minister also said, underscoring the chance to explore numerous international business opportunities, particularly in Japan. Page 4