Newswrap: Halal industry
A summary of the latest Halal industry news from around the world.
Australia and Malaysia expand halal food trade
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and Malaysia’s Halal Development Corporation (HDC) signed a MoU to bolster halal food trade sales. The move is expected to open trade links for Australian halal exports throughout the ASEAN region, according to Austrade. “Australia’s world-class food security frameworks and supply chain integrity are integral to supporting these initiatives. Working with Malaysian businesses will help to unlock other opportunities within ASEAN and with other markets across the globe,” said Paul Sanda, Austrade Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to Malaysia & Brunei. In 2020, Australian goods and services exports to Malaysia reached $10 billion.
B2B platform Kaso eyes $300 million in business in the UAE and Saudi Arabian food sector
B2B platform Kaso, formerly known as Elkaso, is digitalising the ordering process between some 3,500 restaurants and food suppliers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, reported Arabian Business. The platform had a fundrasing round in 2021, and has grown 10-fold since the rebrand in June 2021. “We are bridging an evident gap in the thriving $50 billion food supply Gulf market, with our users already reducing supply costs by 15% and reducing order errors by 80%,” Ahmed Soliman, co-founder of Kaso, is quoted as saying.
Halal Guys opens 100th outlet
US-based fast-food outlet Halal Guys has opened its 100th store, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The brand also has stores in Asia and the UK, reported QSR magazine. The brand is offering free food for life to any customer that eats at all its outlets in 2022. “Visiting all 100 stores would be quite the adventure, and we wouldn’t be surprised if one of our fans was able to accomplish it,” Andrew Eck, vice president of marketing for The Halal Guys, is quoted as saying. “Some of our customers have been with us since 1990 and we are incredibly proud to see this community continue to grow all these years later. We can’t wait to see who is up for the challenge.”
Korean shipbuilder forges partnerships with Middle East
Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) is going through restructuring to focus on partnerships in the Middle East and Russia, the Korea Times reported. The world’s largest shipbuilder, KSOE, is already in the GCC market, through its IMI mega-sized shipyard project in the King Salman shipbuilding industrial complex in Saudi Arabia. Set to launch next year it is a joint venture with the Saudi state and and Saudi Engines Manufacturing Company (SEMC).
Iranian goods present in North and Northeastern Syria
Iranian goods are banned by the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), the political arm of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, and the Turkish-backed Syrian Interim Government (SIG), but are widely available in the north due to low prices, reported Syria Today. Iranian products are banned due to Tehran’s support of Damascus, but traders in Turkey buy goods from neighbouring Iran and often rebrand them, Syria Report quotes opposition outlet Al-Hal Net. Goods are also smuggled from the Kurdish Region of Iraq. Inflows are expected to rise as Iran is to launch a trade centre in Sulaymaniyah, with representative offices of over 100 Iranian firms, Syria Report noted, based on a 13 February article in the state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency.
