As Istanbul prepares for the 9th World Halal Summit and 10th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Halal Expo, Türkiye is strategically positioning itself as a key player in the global halal market, according to the CEO of Discover Events and World Halal Summit Council President Yunus Ete.
“The Halal Expo 2023 and the 9th World Halal Summit to be held between Nov. 23-26 are expected to help Türkiye grow and become even more influential in the halal market,” Ete told Daily Sabah in an exclusive interview.
Focusing strategically on diversifying its markets within the "Century of Türkiye" vision the country aims to elevate its exports to $300 billion by 2025, said Ete, adding that the “halal market presents one of the biggest potentials for this ambition.”
Türkiye has already made significant strides in the halal sector, ranking among the top 20 exporters of halal products alongside Indonesia and Malaysia, according to the OIC's Halal Economy Report.
The country on the crossroads between Europe and Asia is also one of the three countries, alongside Indonesia and Malaysia, that has the capacity to produce and export over 20 types of products, Ete noted.
The global halal market is valued at over $7 trillion (TL 200.2 trillion), according to Ete, and is expected to expand further to $10 trillion over the next five years.
Ete said that spending on food by consumers in Muslim countries exceeded $1 trillion in 2022 and is expected to rise to $1.5 trillion by 2026. In his words, this growth offers an important window of opportunity for investments and exports among OIC countries.
“There is high consumer demand for healthy, halal and organic food products,” said Ete, asserting however that OIC countries are dependent on imports in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors.
Seeing this opportunity, Turkish companies are focusing on investments in halal-certified products, he said, adding they are also taking very strategic steps to create a strong network in this market.
Ete also underscored the importance of the expo and the active efforts of the country's Halal Accreditation Agency.
Depicting the main slogans of this year’s exhibition as "The World's Biggest Halal Showcase" and "The Gate to the Global Halal Economy," Ete further highlighted a very strong demand for the Halal Expo Fair.
He said important companies in the fields of food, food technologies, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles and modest fashion show a very high level of interest in the event each year.
This year, there is also serious demand for exhibitors from sectors related to Islamic finance and halal tourism, he noted.
Touching upon halal accreditation and the scope of the halal market, Ete said that contrary to general belief, the halal market encompasses much more than halal food.
“People first think of the food industry when they think of the halal market, but halal certification is not limited to food. Halal certification also applies to creams and ointments that come into contact with skin, toothpaste, clothing and cosmetics. Tourism is also a significant industry,” he explained.
We see that the demand by consumers and international competition also lead to more hotels applying for the certification, he added.
According to Ete, emerging dynamics in the global trade market help the interest in the halal market grow, both in Türkiye and on a global level.
Explaining that the quest for alternatives to Israeli goods and the worldwide boycott of those goods has directed demand toward halal-certified products, Ete said: “The people showed their response to the attacks on Gaza, started looking for alternatives to Israeli products, and focused on the halal market. Sales of halal-certified products ranging from food to hygiene, pharmaceuticals to textiles, have shown an increase of over 100% in the past weeks.”
“It is clear that the global halal market, having already surpassed the size of $7 trillion, continues to grow ever stronger with the recent momentum,” he said.
Furthermore, Ete explained that the expo, which receives visitors from over 100 countries, serves as a platform for qualified company representatives and business people to discover new products, expand their network and diversify their portfolio.
“Our participants will meet over 500 professionals, especially from Türkiye, the Middle East, Central and Western Europe, the Balkans and Africa,” he said. He also added that the expo, as in previous years, will also host a special B2B program through the support of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye.
Ete said the International Chefs Championship has also been organized simultaneously with the fair and the summit since 2018 and added that this year, the event will be organized much more comprehensively.
"This year, 1,000 cooks will participate in the championship, which we organize in cooperation with the All Chefs and Pastry Cooks Confederation (TAŞPAKON) and the World Platform of Islamic Countries Culinary Societies – WICS,” he noted.
Besides the fair's impactful economic contribution, the convergence of global halal market leaders in Istanbul holds significance not only for the economy but also in fostering tourism and cultural exchanges, Ete emphasized.
“It also adds to the attractiveness of Türkiye as a halal-friendly destination,” he added.
“Istanbul is our crown jewel and the fact that the 9th World Halal Summit and 10th OIC Halal Expo 2023 is being held here also reinforces our city's position as a global hot spot,” he concluded.
