The 10th Halal Expo Dubai was held at the Crowne Plaza Convention Hall on Monday and Tuesday, just two months after the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC) recognized the show as part of the Islamic Economy Week.

The recognition will facilitate the trade of UAE halal products worldwide and acceptance of UAE halal standards in the international markets, as well as markets that accept UAE’s halal certification, of which there are 60 markets globally.

The UAE is home to 5,000 importers, manufacturers and stockists of halal products. The Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), the country’s standardization authority, is expected to issue 18,000 halal certificates this year, which is one of the highest in the world.

The two-day exhibition was attended by over 4,000 people — mostly buyers and sellers of halal products and services — from 40 countries. More than 75 companies from 15 countries, including Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Spain, Pakistan, Switzerland, India, the UK, Brunei, Thailand, China and the UAE participated in the show.

These developments, organizers said, are a direct result of the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, when he declared his plan to transform Dubai as the global capital of Islamic economy in 2013.

Subsequently, the government created the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, which supports the Halal Expo Dubai.

The global halal economy is estimated to touch the $6.4 trillion mark this year, up from $3.2 trillion in 2012, according to a report.

The GCC countries import $50 billion worth of halal products, according to the latest research by Farrelly and Mitchell, a food and agri-business specialist. Of this, the UAE’s halal import bill is $20 billion or about 40 percent of the GCC’s halal products imports.

Speaking before the event, Raees Ahmed, director of Orange Fairs and Events, organizer of the Halal Expo Dubai, said: “Halal Expo Dubai is part of our efforts to help Dubai strengthen its position as the global hub of halal and the Islamic economy. The two-day exhibition will create the right meeting point for international buyers, sellers, producers, manufacturers, importers, exporters and wholesalers of halal and Islamic products and services and help generate businesses for the leading international halal suppliers through Dubai.

“Halal foods are considered to be healthy and hygienic. A growing number of non-Muslim consumers prefer halal foods, as they are deemed safer. As a result, the distribution of halal foods has expanded beyond traditional markets in cities such as Shanghai, which has 80,000 Muslims.”