A major new event to be held in the UAE later this year will spotlight the booming halal market at a time when global estimates find the industry worth an estimated $2.1 trillion a year and growing at $500 billion annually due to an ever-increasing Muslim population.

Halal World Expo, the most comprehensive Middle East event to focus on the increasingly global halal industry, will take place from December 9-11 in Abu Dhabi at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The event, organised by the Institute for International Research (IIR), aims to bring together worldwide industry giants in the first event of its kind in the region that covers all sectors and focus areas of the halal market. 
Exhibiting at Halal World Expo will provide producers and distributors of halal products with the opportunity to meet industry peers and international halal authorities, to network and create further business opportunities. Halal World Expo will present an international platform in which this may be achieved.
As the Middle East positions itself as one of the premier users of quality halal products with its dense concentration of Muslim consumers, there is huge potential for the halal industry across the GCC to produce and distribute high-quality, regulation-certified halal products throughout the region.
The halal food market which is currently worth $150 billion a year will form a huge focus of the event with exhibitors from the areas of food production, canned products, agricultural products, dairy and meat products participating in the exhibition.
Halal World Expo will provide a platform for organisations to meet; debate and discuss standards and regulations and explore options for globalising the industry.
The exhibition will also be looking at Halal lifestyle products including Islamic fashion, cosmetics, a market worth Dh2.06 billion in the UAE alone and other healthcare products, as there has been a growing demand in the UAE towards items that are halal compliant.
Islamic finance, which is currently worth between $200 and $500 billion annually and a consistently growing interest for financial market across the world, will also be a focus of the exhibition. Islamic finance is of interest to the halal industry as many companies involved in the halal market will be seeking Sharia-compliant financial products and services.
Christine Weaver, exhibition director of Halal World Exp, said: “By focusing on globalising quality in Middle East halal products, we will offer both regional and international exhibitors a gateway to penetrate the Middle East and international markets. This direct route provides a cost-effective platform for exhibitors to market their products and services to an ever-increasing demand in a world-wide industry.”