Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Feb 09, 2026

Soaring demand for halal products to ensure more investment in the sector

Soaring demand for halal products to ensure more investment in the sector

The growing demand for halal products and services will create more opportunities for investment in the halal industry as well as avenues for the export and intra-trade of halal products among member countries and Muslim communities, said Amer Bukvic, the acting chief product and partnership officer of the Islamic Development Bank.
“Valued at $1.27 trillion in 2021 and projected to reach $1.67 trillion in 2025, the food sector is the largest component of spending on halal food by Muslims,” said Bukvic on the sidelines of the IsDB annual meetings in Jeddah.

“The development of a sustainable halal industry in IsDB member countries requires the adoption of enabling ecosystem(s) at the national level, including long-term strategies supporting policies for qualified human capital, the institutional framework for standardization, certification, accreditation, and awareness program(s) for the various stakeholders and consumers, as well as the use of new technology in order to increase efficiency in (the) halal manufacturing and distribution process and (to) improve visibility, and consumer trust.”

Bukvic added: “There is a need to address two important challenges facing the halal economy, namely financing the halal industry and effective management of the halal supply chain.”

Many IsDB member countries are making conscious efforts to develop their halal economies and capture the potential of the market.

Malaysia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are among the most active nations and have clear visions of becoming hubs for the global halal trade.

Even non-majority Muslim countries like Thailand, Japan, and South Korea aim to position themselves as key players in the halal market. Australia and Brazil, meanwhile, are among the top halal meat and poultry suppliers to countries in the Middle East.

Fahad Al-Nuhait, CEO of the PIF-funded Halal Products Development Co., said that domestically the HPDC aims to invest in all stages of the halal aquatic sector, capitalizing on opportunities to achieve sustainable integration across Saudi Arabia and the supply chain.

“From a global perspective, we strive to position the Kingdom as a center of the halal products industry, which contributes to multilateral growth in target markets. With HPDC participation in the private sector forum, we seek to build partnerships with key stakeholders in the health sector within and outside Saudi Arabia,” he said.

“This partnership is not only a demonstration of the HPDC initiative to strengthen the halal sector, but it’s also a purposeful measure that will improve and enhance the halal poultry sector in the Kingdom.”

Hairol Ariffein Sahari, CEO of Halal Development Corp. Malaysia said: “The global halal market size is projected to be at $5 trillion by 2030. By any means, this is a clear reflection of the need to harness collaborative efforts among the halal stakeholders and IsDB member countries in working towards a common cause, namely, to participate towards the growth of the global halal economy.”

HDC and IsDB took the task to develop an economic cursory assessment of halal ecosystems to identify the manufacturing and production readiness of the IsDB countries in order to become self-reliant, especially in the production of their own industry, including but not limited to food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and personal care.

On the sidelines of the IsDB annual meetings, an event entitled “Unlocking IsDB Member Countries’ Potential to Tap into the Vast and Expanding Global Halal Industry” was organized as a component of the private sector forum to highlight the importance of halal business, in fostering the social and economic development of the IsDB member countries and the Muslim communities in non-member countries.

Two panel discussions entitled “How to Promote the Halal Industry Through Investment,” and “Innovations in the Halal Industry” were also held.

Ahmed Osilan, executive board member and managing director of Tanmiah, said during the first discussion that Saudi Arabia is the heart of the Islamic world, with investment capabilities and geographic proximity to more than 500 million consumers in neighboring markets.

“Eighty percent of the halal market products are produced in not necessarily halal countries, which gives an opportunity for us to work together as halal market players to provide quality products to the Islamic bloc — and not only the Islamic bloc, because halal products are also good for non-Muslims,” he said.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the IsDB and the HPDC at the end of the event to showcase opportunities within Saudi Arabia’s halal sector and the halal industries of the IsDB’s member countries, with three main objectives identified including localization of the halal products industry in Saudi Arabia, enhancing the capabilities of the sector at the regional level, and providing opportunities for exporting halal products from the Kingdom to the world.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Syria and Saudi Arabia Seal Multibillion-Dollar Investment Agreements to Drive Post-War Economic Reconstruction
Apple iPhone Lockdown Mode blocks FBI data access in journalist device seizure
Foreign Governments and Corporations Spend Millions with Trump-Linked Lobbying Firm in Washington
KPMG Urges Auditor to Relay AI Cost Savings
Saudi Arabia Quietly Allows Wealthy Foreign Residents to Buy Alcohol, Signalling Policy Shift
US and Iran to Begin Nuclear Talks in Oman
China unveils plans for a 'Death Star' capable of launching missile strikes from space
Investigation Launched at Winter Olympics Over Ski Jumpers Injecting Hyaluronic Acid
U.S. State Department Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately
Wall Street Erases All Gains of 2026; Bitcoin Plummets 14% to $63,000
Eighty-one-year-old man in the United States fatally shoots Uber driver after scam threat
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Begins Strategic Gulf Tour with Saudi Arabia Visit
Dubai Awards Tunnel Contract for Dubai Loop as Boring Company Plans Pilot Network
Five Key Takeaways From President Erdoğan’s Strategic Visit to Saudi Arabia
AI Invented “Hot Springs” — Tourists Arrived and Were Shocked
Erdoğan’s Saudi Arabia Visit Focuses on Trade, Investment and Strategic Cooperation
Germany and Saudi Arabia Move to Deepen Energy Cooperation Amid Global Transition
Saudi Aviation Records Historic Passenger Traffic in 2025 and Sets Sights on Further Growth in 2026
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Global Shifts in War, Trade, Energy and Security Mark Major International Developments
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
Putin’s Four-Year Ukraine Invasion Cost: Russia’s Mass Casualty Attrition and the Donbas Security-Guarantee Tradeoff
Saudi Crown Prince Tells Iranian President: Kingdom Will Not Host Attacks Against Iran
U.S. Central Command Announces Regional Air Exercise as Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Footage
Trump Defends Saudi Crown Prince in Heated Exchange After Reporter Questions Khashoggi Murder and 9/11 Links
Saudi Stocks Rally as Kingdom Prepares to Fully Open Capital Market to Global Investors
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
Saudi Arabia scales back Neom as The Line is redesigned and Trojena downsized
Saudi Industrial Group Completes One Point Three Billion Dollar Acquisition of South Africa’s Barloworld
Saudi-Backed LIV Golf Confirms Return to Trump National Bedminster for 2026 Season
Gold Jumps More Than 8% in a Week as the Dollar Slides Amid Greenland Tariff Dispute
Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot and LG CLOiD home robot: the platform lock-in fight to control Physical AI
United States under President Donald Trump completes withdrawal from the World Health Organization: health sovereignty versus global outbreak early-warning access
Trump Administration’s Iran Military Buildup and Sanctions Campaign Puts Deterrence Credibility on the Line
Tech Brief: AI Compute, Chips, and Platform Power Moves Driving Today’s Market Narrative
NATO’s Stress Test Under Trump: Alliance Credibility, Burden-Sharing, and the Fight Over Strategic Territory
Saudi Arabia’s Careful Balancing Act in Relations with Israel Amid Regional and Domestic Pressures
Greenland, Gaza, and Global Leverage: Today’s 10 Power Stories Shaping Markets and Security
America’s Venezuela Oil Grip Meets China’s Demand: Market Power, Legal Shockwaves, and the New Rules of Energy Leverage
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Saudi Arabia Advances Ambitious Artificial River Mega-Project to Transform Water Security
Saudi Crown Prince and Syrian President Discuss Stabilisation, Reconstruction and Regional Ties in Riyadh Talks
Mohammed bin Salman Confronts the ‘Iranian Moment’ as Saudi Leadership Faces Regional Test
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
Donald Trump Organization Unveils Championship Golf Course and Luxury Resort Project in Saudi Arabia
Inside Diriyah: Saudi Arabia’s $63.2 Billion Vision to Transform Its Historic Heart into a Global Tourism Powerhouse
×