DDHK News, Dubai - The global halal industry and products continue to bloom. Its value is currently estimated at billions of US dollars and will continue to multiply as the world's Muslim population grows.
Currently, the world's Muslim population is estimated at 1,6 billion people, most of whom are believed to prefer consuming halal products.
This fact is certainly very tempting, especially for Muslim countries. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a country that is positioning itself as the center of Islamic business and finance is well aware of this opportunity.
For this reason, this country plans to build a halal industrial area. This location will be used for the manufacturing and logistics industries related to food, cosmetics and other halal products.
This halal industrial area is planned to be inside the Dubai Industrial Zone. According to Dubai Industrial Estate CEO Abdullah Belhoul, the idea of creating a special halal manufacturing zone was driven by the increasing demand for domestic and international halal products.
"We from the industry are very aware of the developments that are happening. "There are many opportunities to be exploited," said Belhoul Associated Press as quoted republica.co.id.
The official announcement of the construction of the halal industrial estate was made at a press conference held in the middle of the Gulfood 2014, a weeklong food and beverage exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC).
The development of this halal industrial area is the result of cooperation between the Dubai Islamic Economic Development Center, the UAE Standardization and Metrology Agency, and the Dubai City Government.
"The construction of this halal industrial area is very much in line with Dubai's vision to become the center of an Islamic economy," said Belhoul.
Covering an area of 6,7 million square feet, this halal industrial area is expected to attract at least 15 companies, mainly from countries that are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Middle East and North Africa.
"These companies that have a halal industry can sign an agreement in the next few months."
Later, Belhoul explained, the area will have industrial blocks, warehouses, showrooms and accommodation facilities. Meanwhile, products made and stored in this area must have received a halal certificate from a halal accreditation body in the UAE.
Currently, the world's Muslim consumers spend about one trillion US dollars on food and more than 26 billion US dollars on cosmetics and personal care products. "In the next five years, that figure will increase to US $ 1,6 trillion and US $ 39 billion," Belhoul said.
In the GCC region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain) alone, he continued, the food market is worth around US $ 85 billion.
Dubai doesn't seem to want to be left behind in capturing this very promising economic potential. For this reason, in addition to having a halal industrial area soon, Dubai will also have a new Halal Food and Product Accreditation Center.
"It is in this institution that food products and other products are tested to ensure that they are free from additives or chemicals that do not comply with Islamic law," said Hussain Nasser Lootah, one of the directors general at the Dubai City Government. (AP / ROL)
