Saudi Gazette report

MADINAH — Sheikh Abdullah bin Saleh Kamel, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development and chairman of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that work is underway to launch a halal certificate similar to the "ISO" certificate.

Addressing the Investment Forum in Madinah, he said that the value of halal market exceeds $2 trillion worldwide and the market targets 1.6 billion Muslims. "During the past period, some countries have begun to take a share of this market, of which some of them are non-Islamic countries," he said.

Sheikh Kamel revealed that the halal initiative has begun from the Islamic Chamber of Commerce along with the Chambers of Makkah and Madinah to invest at the holy sites in the two cities. "Halal is not limited to food only, but extends to several sectors, most notably tourism and cosmetics. We look forward through the halal initiative to acquire a large percentage of this market within Saudi Arabia, especially in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah due to their special status," he said.

Kamel revealed that qualitative partnerships will be launched with the Halal Products Development Company (HPDC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The Islamic Chamber will sign partnerships with the company during the year 2025, so that Saudi Arabia will be the main destination for halal products in the world, he added.