DUBAI — The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) is organizing a webinar on Wednesday (June 10) to discuss the expanding market for halal products and services worldwide as part of the chamber’s series of online forums organized to help its members prepare for and thrive in the ‘new normal’ brought about by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

One of the expected highlights of the online event is the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce President Rubens Hannun and Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA) Assistant Director-General for the Halal Trade and Marketing Centre (HTMC) Amna Lootah.

Titled “Global Halal Market: trends, regulation and opportunities,” the webinar to feature several Arab and Brazilian experts who would talk about the fundamentals and ways to optimize the immense growth prospects in the global halal market today. The focused industries will include Halal tourism services, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

The key discussions would particularly revolve around the benefits and advantages to be gained from halal certification as an added brand value; the latest market developments; relevant rules and regulations in different countries; and the future of compliance. Moreover, the webinar will throw the spotlight on the significant role of international organizations in facilitating global trade activities post-COVID-19, as well as in tackling new challenges and securing fresh deals after the pandemic.

Hannun said: “Over the years, the worldwide demand for halal-certified products and services has surged by leaps and bounds, and this pandemic is expected to not significantly impact that upward trajectory. We at ABCC aim to ensure that Brazilian businesses will be able to fully maximize the current and future opportunities in the market by increasing their awareness and facilitating industry entry for interested firms. During the webinar, we will showcase all things halal, including protein-oriented companies and products. The invited experts will provide an overview as well of the current situation of the market, and the standards enforced by certifying members to help Brazilian investors to not only close new deals but also attain maturity within the global market.”

“Similar to our past online forums, our upcoming webinar will help forge new partnerships between Brazilian and Arab companies — enabling us to help keep the trade activities going between relevant parties. The latest forum will follow the string of our highly successful webinars in the past, which received an overwhelming response from the attendees. We will continue to hold these webinars to provide the much-needed guidance and advice to companies and organizations during and after the pandemic,” Hannun added.

The GCC Accreditation Center (GAC) has already issued accreditations to Brazilian halal certifiers to verify the compliance of transportation and storage facilities, points of sale, and supermarkets with Islamic law. The halal accreditation body, which has been instrumental in the growth of the global halal food market, has set the industry standards as well as established international arrangements based on the mutual recognition of certificates and reports issued by the conformity assessment bodies (CABs) — SG