Matrade to organise halal showcase in Dubai

Matrade chairman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican (centre) together with Investment, Trade And Industry (MITI) Ministry Secretary General Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob (left) and Matrade CEO Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz (right) at the soft launch of the 20th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2024. —AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (Matrade) is making its maiden attempt to internationalise the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (Mihas) by taking it to Dubai this year.

Held in two parts, the event, themed "Globalising halal innovations", will be held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre from Sept 17 to 20, before moving onward to the Dubai World Trade Centre from Nov 18 to 20.

The Dubai portion of the event, dubbed Mihas@Dubai, will be held within the Middle East Organic and Natural Product Expo.

"By selecting Dubai as the venue for Mihas, we strategically position our event in a vibrant market hub, tapping into a diverse range of attendees from the Middle East and beyond, and unveiling our strategy for attracting buyers from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), South America, South Asia and the emerging markets," said Matrade chairman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican at the soft launch of the event at the Matrade Exhibition Convention Centre.

The halal trade show, which is projected to achieve RM1bil in sales, will feature a total of 2,000 booths from 45 countries with 14 clusters, including the newly introduced halal ingredients cluster.

Apart from the exhibition, the International Sourcing Programme or INSP, which is Matrade's flagship event, will also take place with an anticipated participation of 500 international buyers, including 20 premium buyers in pre-arranged business meetings either virtually or physically with Malaysian exporters.

Moving forward, Reezal Merican said Matrade is mapping out its expansion plans beyond Dubai with a focus on opportunities to introduce Mihas to important markets such as China and Europe.

"This aligns with our broader vision of fostering international partnerships and promoting Malaysian products to a broader audience," he said.