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MIHAS 2016: A Stepping Stone for SMEs to be Global Champions

2016-02-26 09:35 5384

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Malaysian International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2016 is returning for the 13th year from 30 March - 2 April 2016, promising yet another memorable and impactful event. MIHAS 2016, organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), will feature two main components - a trade fair and an International Sourcing Programme (INSP).

MIHAS 2016 will take centre stage from 30th March to 2nd April at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC
MIHAS 2016 will take centre stage from 30th March to 2nd April at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC

The annual event, which will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), offers a trade fair showcasing the participation of companies supplying various products and services such as Halal consumables, non-food products & services, food packaging, machinery & catering equipment, Islamic investment, banking and Takaful. A total of 640 booths will be set up and over 25,000 visitors are expected to attend the event.

A total of 26 countries from the ASEAN region, the Middle East, South Asia and Europe will be participating in this world's largest Halal trade event. "Malaysia has earned international recognition as one of the pioneers in the global Halal marketplace. The Halal ecosystem is well developed in Malaysia, and this is a strong catalyst for the huge growth in the industry," said MATRADE's chief executive officer, Dato' Dzulkifli Mahmud.

MIHAS 2016 will highlight the enormous potential in the global Halal market and supports local Small- and Medium-sized Enetrprises (SMEs) to expand into new frontiers. "Halal certified Bumiputera companies are a major contributor to the industry. Last year, MIHAS saw the participation of 108 Bumiputera companies. We hope to see this number increase significantly this year with more Bumiputera SMEs exhibiting their products at MIHAS," added Dato' Dzulkifli.

In an effort to accelerate sales of Halal products and services from Malaysia, the INSP will be organised a day before MIHAS 2016 commences -- 29 March 2016. INSP is a business matching programme for Malaysian companies and was previously known as the Incoming Buying Mission, or IBM. The sourcing programme aims to match 500 Malaysian companies with over 350 buyers from 41 countries.

Last year, the business matching programme successfully generated RM443.2 million in sales while sales from the trade fair were RM655.8 million, bringing the total sales of MIHAS 2015 to RM1.1 billion. With an interplay of various external factors in the global economy, these figures are expected to increase by 2 per cent this year.

The contribution of Halal exports to Malaysia's economy continues to grow, reaching an estimated RM42 billion in 2015, creating 200,000 jobs and supporting 800 SMEs to date. The Halal agenda is very much part of the government's policy to promote the growth and development of Malaysia.

MIHAS 2016, organised by MATRADE, is part of the World Halal Week (WHW), a brainchild of the Ministry of International Trade & Industry. Besides MIHAS 2016, other components of WHW are World Halal Conference 2016, organised by the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC), and the Halal Certification Bodies Convention organised by the Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM). These bring together industry players and Halal experts from all over the world. It also embodies Malaysia's aspiration to be the main driver in creating a dynamic ecosystem for the Halal industry for world players to draw inspiration from.

Issued by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)

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NOTE TO EDITORS

For more information, please contact:

Zuhaila Sedek
Head, Strategic Corporate Communications Unit
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)
Tel (Direct): +60-3-6207-7409
Email: zuhaila@matrade.gov.my

Intan Eidayu Zainal
Communications & PR Division
MIHAS Secretariat
Tel: +60-3-6203-4433
Email: intan@halal.org.my

About MATRADE

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) was established on March 1, 1993 as the external trade promotion arm of Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Its functions are:

  • To promote, assist and develop Malaysia's external trade with particular emphasis on the export of manufactured and semi-manufactured products and services;
  • To formulate and implement export marketing strategies and trade promotion activities to promote Malaysia's export;
  • To undertake commercial intelligence and market research and create a comprehensive database of information for the improvement and development of Malaysia's trade;
  • To organise training programmes to improve the international marketing skills of Malaysian exporters;
  • To enhance and protect Malaysia's international trade investment abroad; and
  • To promote, facilitate and assist in the services areas related to trade.

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160225/8521601249

Source: Shapers Malaysia Sdn Bhd
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