The Halal Industry Exhibition Concluded in the Kingdom of Bahrain with the Participation of GSO
The activities of the Halal Industry and Services Forum and Exhibition, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain during 6-7 February 2024, were concluded.
The event was opened by His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mr. Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, with the participation of the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO).
In his opening speech, His Excellency Mr. Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro stressed that the Kingdom of Bahrain attaches prime importance to the halal industry in its various fields, at a time that is witnessing rapid growth in the global halal market, which reflects the increasing demand for halal goods and services. This event is the first of its kind in the Kingdom, which bridges the gap between the halal industry and the Islamic finance sector through various tools, in addition to exploring investment opportunities in the halal sector in its various fields, and opening new horizons for entrepreneurs and the development of small and medium enterprises.
His Excellency pointed out that the current efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain are aiming at establishing a national halal system with a view to unifying and facilitating halal procedures and ensuring that traded products are within halal standards and applied to all products and services of the halal sector, as the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, through the National Standardization Body, is working with partners in the public and private sectors and regional and Islamic organizations to adopt standards and technical regulations related to halal in order to establish the infrastructure for operation of the system.
On his part, His Excellency the President of GSO, Mr. Saud bin Nasser Al-Khusaibi, explained that GSO participates as one of the main organizers of the Bahrain Forum and Exhibition for the Halal Industry and its Services under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The participation stems from its pioneering role with its members to develop Gulf standards, including standards for halal products and services, through specialists (technical and Shariah members ) in the Gulf technical committees from all member states, and out of its belief in the importance of raising the level of awareness of this sector from an economic and consumer safety perspective, and coordinating the efforts related to Halal standards, and its relentless efforts to build a unified Gulf system for Halal in coordination with the relevant authorities at the Gulf, Islamic, regional and international levels.
His Excellency stated that the GSO places the Halal sector at the top of its priorities and in its technical plans owing to the vital importance it represents in relation to the health and safety of the consumer, and in compliance with the religious aspects on the other hand. As such, GSO had issued more than 20 unified Gulf standards and technical regulations for Halal in the field of food, agriculture, health and cosmetics, through a main Gulf technical committee concerned with standards of Halal products and services. Its membership comprises all member states and concerned technical, Sharia and regulatory bodies, in addition to representatives from the supporting members, including a representative from the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC).
He added, “Today the Gulf standards and technical regulations are used as main reference for accreditation bodies, led by the Gulf Accreditation Centre, as well as an important reference for many Arab and Islamic standardization bodies around the world. GSO also applies the best international practices by adopting international standards in the field of Food issued by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the relevant Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC/SMIIC) standards, and relying on the unified fatwa reference issued by the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), as well as coordinating the stances of member states in relevant international events and forums.
His Excellency the President of GSO indicated that the topic of Halal occupies a large part on the agenda of GSO and constitutes a priority in GSO strategic plan (2021-2025). GSO also exerts relentless efforts to support this sector in a way that meets the needs of the Gulf common market, both in terms of preparing and developing Gulf standards and technical regulations for Halal and its services, or in terms of mobilizing efforts to prepare a unified Gulf system for Halal that incorporates Fikh (religious) dimensions, standards, conformity assessment bodies, certification bodies and accreditation centers, with the aim of establishing a solid foundation, carefully studied, unified and agreed-upon steps among the concerned authorities that combines meeting the provisions of Islamic Sharia, and the technical requirements and conditions for safety, health, quality and sustainability; besides covering the Halal products and services, contributing to, facilitating, streamlining and increasing trade exchange, with the participation and contribution of partners in the member states and their local partners, who have the leading role in implementing GSO plan, directions and strategies in a way that serves the member states and meets their needs.
At the Forum, four sessions and three workshops were held that dealt with investment opportunities in the Halal industry, trade and its services, opportunities for financing trade and the Halal industry, the importance of commercial arbitration in trade and industry contracts and agreements related to Halal contracts, and future prospects in the Halal trade and industry and their services for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMEs). GSO participated in the third session of the forum, in a discussion session on the importance of arbitration, agreements, and the regulatory infrastructure system for the Halal industry. The forum was also accompanied by an exhibition for a number of bodies and companies. GSO had a special pavilion to introduce its activities and distribute awareness publications to participants and visitors.
It is worthwhile noting that the forum and exhibition were organized by the Islamic Society and Checklist Company, with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture, in cooperation with the Labor Market Regulatory Authority, the Labor Fund “Tamkeen”, the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Financial Studies BIBF, and the Investment Promotion Office “UNIDO”, the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Financial and Islamic Institutions “AAOIFI”, the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), the GCC Standardization Organization “GSO”, the Gulf Accreditation Center “GAC”, and a number of Islamic and international bodies and organizations specialized in Halal affairs. A large number of food and Halal industry experts in the Islamic world also participated.
