Malaysia is again setting itself up as a leading influencer and industry player in the global Halal economy by hosting the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) from 4-7 April 2018. The event at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre will bring together global Halal brands and gather leading industry players and thought leaders from around the world for four days of trade, networking and knowledge sharing. Organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) under the patronage of Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia, MIHAS is the largest Halal trade event of its kind in the world. Whilst the exhibition logged its largest edition in 2017, recording 22,000 visitors from 80 countries, this year MIHAS is set to double in size. The exhibition features products and services across seven industry sectors: Food and Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Tourism, Finance, Logistics and E-commerce.
Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE, said “the overwhelming interest in MIHAS reflects the bullish sentiment of the global Halal industry. Of the 800 companies that are expected to participate this year, as high as 32% of exhibitors are new-to-market while the remaining 68% are repeat and long-term participants”. “41 countries have registered interest to participate, representing 45% of the total occupancy of MIHAS 2018; the rest of course being Malaysian companies. I am happy to note that India are among the top 6 countries having the largest pavilion at MIHAS, alongside Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Iran and China.”, he added. MIHAS has been a highly effective sourcing platform, steadily recording over USD 4 billion in cumulative trade for its participants. As the world’s largest Halal tradeshow, MIHAS will continue to lead and serve the industry by fostering business and investment in the Halal domain.
This year, buyers at the exhibition can expect to find the latest Halal product offerings and services across industry value chains. From Halal ingredients, to semi-finished products and manufactured goods, to packaging and logistics, to Shariah compliant financing and Takaful, MIHAS has become an indispensable annual one-stop centre for traders in this burgeoning economic sector. Thomson Reuters in its latest State of The Global Islamic Economy Report predicts that the potential size of the Muslim market will reach USD 3.081 Trillion by 2022. Total Muslim spend across lifestyle sectors already represents nearly 12% of global expenditure. The number of exhibitors MIHAS has received this year is very promising. It will be welcoming 10 countries which have not previously participated in MIHAS before with at least 40 countries participating as exhibitors.
MIHAS 2018 is also projected to double the number of participating exhibitors, from 612 booths to 1200 booths, making this year the most comprehensive and highly- anticipated edition of MIHAS for buyers that is expected to draw a very large crowd.
Malaysian manufacturers and distributors will comprise half of the participating companies, reflecting keen support and interest from local players as well as the international. This year, top foreign countries exhibiting are from Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, China and Philippines.
