Malaysia urges French businesses to leverage on MIHAS to capture Muslim market - In conjunction with MIHAS 2012, H.E. Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal, Ambassador of Malaysia to France, had a meeting with 15 different players of the French halal industry at the Embassy of Malaysia in Paris on Thursday, 24 November 2011.
The meeting, based on MIHAS 2012 theme “Embracing the Global Halal Market”, was held to promote and incite French businesses to tap into the growing halal market. MIHAS 2012 will be kicking off its 9th showcase at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, from 4 to 7 April next year.
“Malaysia is well regarded for its commitment in the halal industry and MIHAS is another testament of this commitment. It is the platform where halal producers can launch their products and services not only in the ASEAN region, but also the global Muslim market. MIHAS has created an iconic brand name for itself as the trading venue for the international halal industry. It attracts prominent buyers from all over the world and their presence allows MIHAS to serve as the ‘springboard’ for French producers to expand their businesses overseas.” said Diana Talit, Trade Commissioner of MATRADE, France.
She also sees huge potentials beyond food and beverage. Halal skincare and cosmetics have always been one of Halal Malaysia’s strongest selling points for Halal goods. Capitalising on this aspect would be a smart move as experienced by Atelier des Parfums, a well-known perfume company based in the South of France who participated in MIHAS since 2009. This company now has the capability and capacity to produce halal perfume products for Malaysia and the global market.
“We are happy to make our products here in Malaysia with our knowledge and proximity to the Islamic community. We are now able to bring world-class high quality halal perfume, created in France and manufactured in Malaysia, to all Muslims around the world at affordable prices,” said Olivier R. Funel, the Owner and Executive Vice President of Atelier des Parfums France. France has the largest Muslim population in Europe at about six million and France’s halal market is worth 5.5 bn euros in 2010.
“MIHAS 2012 is where all the most experienced halal professionals gather, offering the best avenue to nurture business networking. French food traders and suppliers stand to gain handsomely from the discovery of new halal products and key innovations that would fit perfectly with the local taste buds and their high expectations for halal compliance,” Diana added.
After the video presentation on MIHAS 2012, a wide range of questions was fielded and satisfactory replies were given accordingly by H.E. Ambassador and Matrade Trade Commissioner.
MIHAS 2012 will be held from 4 to 7 April at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Since inception in 2004, MIHAS has registered over US$2 billion in total sales, drawing over 20,000 trade visitors from 70 countries annually.
Embassy of Malaysia
Paris
25 November 2011