Makkah : The Makkah Halal Forum marked a decisive shift from discussion to institutional action for Saudi Arabia’s halal sector, unveiling strategic enablers that position the Kingdom as a global leader. Key launches included the Halal Academy and the Golden Halal logo—initiatives designed to provide unified standards of trust and elevate Saudi products as preferred, Sharia‑compliant, high‑quality choices in international markets.
From Compliance to an Industrial System
The Saudi Halal Center is expanding the sector’s remit beyond religious oversight to create a comprehensive, professional industrial and economic system. Central to this transformation are a trusted global halal brand, the Global Halal Academy to build specialized talent, and an advanced digital platform that streamlines accreditation, traceability, and transparency. These measures have increased global consumer confidence, facilitated cross‑border trade, and strengthened Saudi competitiveness abroad.
The Center aims to move from cooperation to integration by unifying standards and labels and advancing digital interoperability—steps that will simplify product movement and improve global supply‑chain efficiency.
Localizing Value Chains and Strategic Investment
The Halal Products Development Company is leveraging the Kingdom’s regulatory and religious stature to localize value chains through industrial investments, strategic partnerships, and knowledge transfer. By developing production, logistics, and digital capabilities domestically, the company seeks to boost local content, reduce import dependence, create export opportunities, and establish Saudi Arabia as a global halal hub.
Quality and Sharia Compliance as Competitive Advantages
The strategy reframes Sharia compliance as part of a broader quality standard—combining religious conformity with rigorous oversight, digital traceability, operational excellence, and sustainability. Investments target advanced sectors such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to localize raw‑material technologies and secure end‑to‑end integrity from source to shelf.
Real‑world validation comes from national brands. Dr. Rasha Al‑Sanea, GM and co‑founder of Roya Food Products Factory, noted that the Saudi “Halal Seal” now reflects exhaustive audits covering facility safety and manufacturing quality, aligned with SFDA and ISO standards and finalized by the Saudi Halal Center—turning the seal into a comprehensive quality certificate.
Forum Accelerates Market Access
The Makkah Halal Forum also fast‑tracked international market access by hosting delegations and trade missions, allowing global partners to inspect Saudi products directly. This facilitated export opportunities to the US and Arab markets and advanced negotiations for European and African entry.
“Made in Saudi Arabia” plus the Halal Seal
Dr. Al‑Sanea emphasized that the “Made in Saudi Arabia” mark, coupled with the Halal Seal, now carries global recognition. Non‑Muslim consumers increasingly associate halal with hygiene, meat quality, and ingredient safety—transforming Saudi halal into a form of soft power and a passport to broader market acceptance.
Together, these initiatives signal Saudi Arabia’s ambition to export not only products but trust—positioning the Kingdom to lead a professional, high‑quality halal industry on the global stage.
