Makkah : The third Makkah Halal Forum, held under the theme “Halal: A Professional Industry,” placed unified standards at the center of discussions as a strategic driver for global halal sector growth. As the market expands and regulatory approaches diverge across regions, stakeholders highlighted the need for consistent frameworks to build trust, reduce trade barriers, and streamline cross-border commerce.
In the forum session “Halal: A Global Professional Identity,” Yusuf Hassan Khalawi, Secretary General of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development, urged the halal sector to adopt professional business models from within the industry. He said unification should begin with voluntary industry commitment—supported by organization and best practices—rather than relying solely on regulation. Khalawi pointed to successes in Islamic finance, where strong regulation and open competition helped raise standards and market confidence, and argued the halal sector can follow a similar path through strategic planning, supply-chain optimization, and continuous performance improvement.
Eng. Bader bin Ibrahim Al‑Abdulatif, Secretary‑General of the Islamic Halal Accreditation Forum (IFHAB), outlined the halal quality infrastructure as four interlinked components: bodies that set specifications, conformity assessment organizations, accreditation bodies, and measurement and calibration entities. He warned that when national authorities reference their own standards, it can fragment conformity practices and complicate trade, underscoring the need for independent, neutral, and complementary standards.
Abdulaziz Al‑Saab, Director of Halal Files at the Gulf Accreditation Center, described differing national standards as a major challenge for manufacturers and exporters. While Gulf countries largely follow GCC and SMIIC specifications—such as GSO 2055 and Standard 993 on slaughter requirements—periodic reviews and national variations force producers to adapt products per market, increasing costs and disrupting supply chains. He noted that inconsistent mutual recognition of certifications can even lead to product rejections, hampering the sector’s momentum despite its growth potential.
Speakers agreed the Makkah Halal Forum plays a crucial role in connecting regulatory bodies, accreditation agencies, investors, and private-sector actors. By bringing stakeholders together, the forum accelerates institutional dialogue, fosters integration, and helps build a common reference framework that could gain broad acceptance across Islamic countries—thereby facilitating smoother trade and wider market access.
The forum’s focus on standards, regulation, and institutional coordination reinforces Saudi Arabia’s leadership in developing the global halal economy. By combining economic strategy, regulatory alignment, institutional capacity building, and technological innovation, the event supports efforts to professionalize the sector and expand its competitiveness in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
