RIYADH, 21 July — Saudi Arabia, the world’s 17th largest meat importer, will hold an international seminar on halal food in September. Food experts and university professors will take part in the four-day event organized by the Exports Promotion Center in association with the Saudi Standards Organization from Sept. 24 in Riyadh.
Osama Kurdi, secretary-general of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the seminar would project the Saudi standards for halal food that could be adopted by foreign companies. The move will be significant for the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims.
France’s Promo Salon has been authorized to promote the seminar at global level. A Saudi food exhibition will be held in Riyadh to coincide with the seminar.
According to the latest figures released by the chamber council, the Kingdom has invested more than $405 billion in food industries by the year 1999.
“Saudi Arabia is considered the largest country in the world which applies halal food standards. That position enables the country to demand the same standards in international markets,” Kurdi told Arab News. He said the Kingdom would impose its standards on all food imports.
“The seminar will explain what is a halal food and its advantages as well as its standards and specifications,” he said. Economic experts will focus on the needs of the Islamic world for halal food and the huge potential for investment in the area, he said.
Kurdi said the Kingdom would be ready to present its food standards in the global market as it would be of great use for Muslim countries as well as countries with Muslim minorities. SASO will represent the Saudi government at the seminar which will be attended by delegates from the International Standards Organization.
Being one of the largest importers of meat, Saudi Arabia deserves a lead role in any project that would set out standards for halal food. It has the largest number of food industries in the region that complies with ISO standards. The Kingdom’s food imports are valued at $7.2 billion annually.
