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Dubai, UAE: The Secretary-General of International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) H.E. Dr. Rehab Al Ameri highlighted the importance of developing ISO-level halal standards to capitalize on the Islamic economy, which is projected to reach $ 3.2 trillion (AED11.7 trillion) by 2024, according to the Global Islamic Economy Report 2019/2020.
In her speech at the 5th Global Halal Industry Platform, which gathered hundreds of governments, experts and stakeholders from all around the world to discuss the key challenges and opportunities in the international halal economy, H.E. Dr. Al Ameri noted the importance of facilitating the development of ISO-level halal standards, especially since halal is gaining prominence among businesses and companies that aim to meet the demands of the 1.2 billion Muslim consumers worldwide.
The event, held under the patronage H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of ESMA, was opened by H.E Abdulla Al Maeeni, Director General of EMSA.
“Today, we are proud to see that Halal standards are being followed by countries to penetrate into various new markets as well as cater to the increasing Muslim population and a growing number of non-Muslim consumers who prefer to consume halal products. Various governments across the globe have taken initiatives to support the development of the Halal industry and this has led to entering new markets, upgrading existing facilities, research and development, technology acquisition, marketing and promotion,” she said.
The Secretary-General said that developing ISO-level halal standards and harmonizing these standards worldwide is essential in protecting the growing number of halal consumers and to facilitate international halal trade.
“Harmonization of halal standards will not only eliminate trade barriers but also facilitate easier, seamless international trade relations, thus contributing to the economic growth of countries as well as wider opportunities for halal goods to access new halal markets globally,” she added.
Today, IHAF has 37 member bodies and 34 member countries, which she said is a remarkable increase in the number of members from when the Forum was founded almost four years ago.
The Secretary-General added that halal food has seen a major evolution in the past year, driven by technology and the development of halal hubs—such as apps that link consumers with halal restaurants and brands, as well as a new halal traceability platform that connects the entire supply chain from producers to auditors and certifying bodies.
The current member countries of IHAF include: (alphabetical order) Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Columbia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic Of Korea, Russia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sudan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The current member bodies of IHAF, meanwhile, include: Accreditation & Standardization System (JAS), American Association For Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC), Emirates International Accreditation Center (EIAC), Entidad Mexicana De Acreditacio, A.C. (EMA), Emirates National Accreditation System (ENAS), GCC Accreditation Centre (GAC), Italian National Accreditation Body (ACCREDIA), Joint Accreditation System Of Australia & New Zealand (JAS-ANZ), National Accreditation Board For Certification Bodies (NABCB), National Accreditation Authority (NAH), Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC), Saudi Accreditation Committee (SAC-KSA), Spanish National Accreditation Body (ENAC), United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity & Food Standards (NSC /ACFS), International Accreditation Service (IAS), Jamaica National Agency For Accreditation (JANAAC), Libyan Accreditation Center (LAC), Morocan Accreditation Services (SEMAC), National Center For Accreditation (NCA), Nigeria National Accreditation Service (NINAS), Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB), Accreditation Affairs Section – Public Authority For Industry (KAAS), Argentine Halal Acreditation Agency (OAA), Development of Accreditation Programs (Didac) In National Metrology, Quality And Technology (Inmetro), Federal Service For Accreditation (RusAccreditation), Komite Akreditasi Nasional (KAN), Kyrgyz Center For Accreditation (KCA), National Accreditation Body Of Colombia (ONAC), Belarusian State Center For Accreditation (BSCA), Costarican Accreditation Body (ECA), Executive Agency –Bulgarian Accreditation Service (EA-BAS), Japan Accreditation Board (JAB), Korea Accreditation Board (KAB), and Sudanese Accrediation Council (SDAC).
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About the International Halal Accreditation Forum
The International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) is an independent, non-government network of accreditation agencies all mandated to enforce halal standards in their countries and regions. IHAF is the world’s first halal international accreditation network. It is also the first international accreditation entity to be based in the UAE. Empowered by its aim to protect the growing number of halal consumers and to facilitate international halal trade, IHAF establishes a solid ground for the global industry of halal food and non-food products. Based in the UAE and spearheaded by the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Center (DIEDC) and the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), IHAF is anchored on the belief that greater cooperation among regional and international organizations is key in creating a halal industry that is strong, stable, reliable and responsive to the needs of consumers and businesses across the world.
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