Title front - Sindh Board Of Investment, Government Of Sindh

Highlights of Events 2011 - 2012International Halal Conference, 2011The International Halal Conference, 2011 wasorganized by Sindh Board of Investment (SBI) on 22ndMarch, 2011 at Sheraton Hotel Karachi incollaboration with Halal Industry DevelopmentCorporation (HDC) of Malaysia to introduce theconcept of halal industry to both domestic andforeign investors. It is worth mentioning that halalmarket is more than a trillion dollar industry worldwideand Pakistan has yet to start working on it.The Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shahinaugurated the conference. He said that this was astep towards bringing awareness on the latest trendsin the world market and about growing popularity of Halal products and services. He expressedhope that the event will provide the entrepreneurs specially SMEs with prospects of developing halalproducts in Pakistan and facilitate them in exploring new avenues for Pakistani products.Sindh Board of Investment with the assistance of HDC envisages a proposal to develop a Halal Parkwith complete infrastructure to facilitate the growth of halal industry in Pakistan. The Halal Park will bea cluster of halal-oriented businesses/industries built in a special zone where halal product relatedservice support and infrastructure will be provided.The Malaysian delegation was led by Chairman HDC Tan Sri Dato and Dr Syed Jalaludin Syed Salimwho was also accompanied by CEO HDC Dato’ Seri Jamil Bidin and other senior officials of HDC.The Malaysian delegates in their presentations informed the participants of the potential of globalhalal market and the Malaysian experience in the fields of halal certification, training and marketing.They were enthusiastic about the opportunities that would unfold as a result of the collaborationbetween the Sindh Board of Investment and Halal Industry Development Corporation of Malaysia.Prospects of halal market can be appreciated by the fact that the global Muslim population isexpected to grow from 1.6 billion (at present) to 3 billion in the near future. Coupled with the fact thatnon-Muslims are increasingly accepting halal products and services, the global trade value for halalproducts is estimated at USD 1.2 trillion annually. The industry's massive potential has generatedinterest among the business community worldwide to opt for this new trend of industrialization.The main objective of the event was to deliberate on:• Prospects of Halal Industry in Pakistan• Development of Halal Park• Business Matchmaking• Halal Certifications and Standards• Halal Trade Promotion• Awareness and Training