@Halal May/June 2026 | Page 5

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May-June. 2026 | @ Halal
LOCAL NEWS
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Comfort beyond borders

MALAYSIA is taking a larger role in shaping how destinations cater to Muslim travellers by extending its tourism standards beyond Southeast Asia through a new partnership with Russia.

The collaboration between the Islamic Tourism Centre( ITC) and Russia ' s halal assurance body, RusQuality( Roskachestvo), displays the growing international interest in Muslim-friendly tourism as a driver of economic growth and visitor confidence.
On May 14, the collaboration was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Mutual Recognition( MOMR) during the 17th International Islamic Forum Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum in Tatarstan, Russia. The agreement aims to align tourism and hospitality standards between both countries while enabling reciprocal recognition of official branding and guidelines.
For Malaysia, the move reflects a broader effort to export expertise developed through its Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recog-
STRENGTHENING TRAVEL TIES: Malaysia and Russia mark a new partnership at KazanForum to expand trusted Muslim-friendly travel standards.
nition( MFAR) framework, which is widely regarded as one of the country ' s soft-power strengths in tourism.
Rather than focusing solely on religious requirements, Muslimfriendly tourism increasingly centres on practical elements such as cleanliness, safety, familyoriented facilities and traveller convenience. These are the qualities that appeal to a broader market beyond Muslim visitors.
Islamic Tourism Centre Director-General Mohammad Faisal Abu Suaib Khan said the partnership represented a significant milestone in expanding the global footprint of Malaysia ' s tourism standards and the MFAR programme.
" When Malaysia initially developed MFAR, our goal was to create a sense of home and peace of mind for Muslim travellers, no matter where they landed," he said.
The collaboration also reflects the growing commercial importance of Muslim-friendly travel. With the global Muslim tourism market estimated at US $ 235 billion, harmonised standards could simplify business cooperation, strengthen tourism flows, and improve destination readiness.
Russia, through RusQuality, has also been expanding its halal ecosystem. The partnership is expected to strengthen its positioning as a Muslim-friendly destination.
According to Head of ANO Russian Quality System / RusQuality, Maxim Aleksandrovich Protasov, the collaboration demonstrates confidence in Malaysia ' s MFAR framework as a global standard for Muslim-friendly travel.
He stated: " Aligning standards with Malaysia reinforces confidence in Russia ' s tourism offerings while helping industry players tap into growing demand."
During the KazanForum, Faisal highlighted that, beyond Russia, Malaysia is positioning itself as a knowledge partner for countries seeking to strengthen Muslim-friendly tourism, and that the Islamic Tourism Centre is prepared to support international destinations through standards development, training, and research.

Algerian market opportunity

AS one of the world ' s significant exporters, Algeria is seeking to expand its market to meet the growing demand for quality food products, particularly in the halal sector.
Malaysia ' s expertise in food and agriculture aligns with this demand. However, according to Malaysia ' s ambassador to Algeria, Rizany Irwan Muhammad Mazlan, Malaysian companies are not fully capturing opportunities in the North African market, as evidenced by their limited participation at the Djazagro international agrofood trade fair in Algiers.
Rizany said many Malaysian firms continue to focus on narrow
commodity exports rather than positioning themselves within broader halal food ecosystems. He noted that Algeria ' s expanding food industry presents strong demand for halal-certified ingredients, processing systems, and integrated supply solutions.
He emphasised that Malaysian exporters should move beyond standalone products and offer complete halal food solutions. These include halal-certified additives, advanced packaging technologies, and automated processing machinery designed to support large-scale food production.
Rizany also highlighted that Malaysia ' s halal certification system under the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia( JAKIM) is widely recognised and can serve as a competitive advantage in markets such as Algeria, where food manufacturing and distribution are rapidly expanding.
Malaysia ' s participation at the Djazagro international agrofood trade fair in Algiers remained limited,
with representation mainly from the Malaysian Palm Oil Council( MPOC) and four palm oil companies.
The trade fair hosted 700 exhibitors from 28 countries, with foreign participants accounting for 73 per cent, reflecting strong global competition in Algeria ' s food sector.
A business networking session organised by the Malaysian Embassy showed a gap between potential and actual engagement, with only four Malaysian suppliers interacting with 58 Algerian trade bodies involved in food manufacturing, imports, distribution, and processing.
Rizany Irwan said: " This indicates that Malaysia is underutilising its potential, especially its halal strengths in a fast-growing market."
He urged future participation to expand beyond palm oil and include broader halal food sectors.
He added that Malaysia could strengthen its position by combining halal consultancy services with machinery and ingredient exports, creating a more competitive presence against established European
UNTAPPED MARKET POTENTIAL: Malaysia ' s Ambassador to Algeria, Rizany Irwan Muhammad Mazlan, highlights growing opportunities for halal and agricultural exports.
suppliers.
Rizany also suggested that increasing participation in future editions, including Djazagro 2027, could help Malaysian firms secure deeper access to Algeria ' s halal food production and distribution ecosystem.-