Malaysia boosts halal trade with Africa as exports to Algeria rise

New Straits Times

2 days ago

NEW DELHI: Malaysia is looking at deepening halal trade links with African countries following an impressive growth in exports to Algeria, one of the region's top economies.
Malaysia underscored its interest in boosting collaboration with African partners in various halal industries at the recently held Halal Economic Leadership Forum (HELF) 2025 in Algiers.
The event was held in conjunction with the Islamic Development Bank's (IsDB) Annual Meeting and Private Sector Forum.
"We had discussions on the need for capacity building and technical training, with Malaysia offering expertise and knowledge transfer to develop local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and certification bodies," Malaysia's ambassador to Algeria Rizany Irwan Muhamad Mazlan told Bernama.
Co-organised by the Halal Development Corporation (HDC) under Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), the IsDB, and the Halal Products Development Company (HPDC), a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the high-profile forum recognised Africa's strategic importance in the vast global halal economy.
Malaysia's halal exports to Algeria in 2024 grew 24 per cent to reach RM156.30 million, with key segments being food and beverages, cosmetics, halal-certified ingredients and palm oil-based goods, Rizany told the forum.
"Participants called for greater public-private collaboration and continued dialogue to advance halal economic integration and praised Malaysia's leading position in the global halal sector," he said.
"Malaysia is committed to strengthen collaboration with Algeria and other Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states to improve halal supply chains, enhance trade integration and support shared socio-economic development," he said.
Fostering entrepreneurship and encouraging innovation are seen as key to building resilient halal supply chains, with participants proposing the establishment of halal industrial zones to boost regional production capacity and world market competitiveness.
Africa is seen as having significant potential both as a market and production base in the global halal business.
Rizany said key agenda topics included mutual recognition of halal certification, enhancing Malaysia–North Africa trade facilitation, investment in logistics infrastructure and support systems for SMEs in halal businesses.
The forum, moderated by Samer Elesawi, head of the IsDB Centre of Excellence, was attended by more than 300 stakeholders representing public and private sectors, financial institutions, development agencies and halal industry players in OIC countries.
The participants included HDC Malaysia chief executive officer Hairol Ariffein Sahari, PT. ILTHABI Rekatama Indonesia chairman Ilham A. Habibie, Nigeria's Dar Al Halal Group Ltd chief Muhammadu Dikko Ladan, Turkiye's Yildiz Holding general manager Rohaizad Hassan, Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican, secretary general of the Treasury of Malaysia, and Issa Faye, IsDB's director general for global practices and partnership.
— BERNAMA