COVER STORY

@ Halal | November-December. 2025

HALAL FOCUS: Experts gathered at the seminar to discuss the future of Thailand’ s halal industry and its potential for economic growth

• Thailand ' s halal exports have reached an impressive valuation, revealing a vast

landscape for growth and expansion.

• Key stakeholders are positioning the halal sector as a powerhouse engine to

propel Thailand ' s GDP to new heights.

• Thailand ' s halal certification shines on the global stage, enabling its products

to capture markets across Muslimmajority and non-Muslim countries.

On Nov 12, 2025, Krungthep Turakij hosted a seminar titled " Thailand ' s New Prospect " to

Supakit Boonsiri

Pattarapon Limpakdee celebrate the 55th anniversary of Nation Group. The event provided a platform to discuss Thailand ' s economic direction, with a significant emphasis on the halal industry, which is seen as a key driver of the nation ' s economic future.

During the seminar, Office of Industrial Economics( OIE) Director General Supakit Boonsiri delivered a special talk titled " Thailand’ s New Prospect: The Global Halal Economy”. He highlighted findings from the OIE’ s 2023 study, which revealed that halal products and services now extend beyond food to include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, chemicals, clothing, medical tools, herbal products, supplements, animal feed, packaging, and tourism.

In 2023, the global halal market reached US $ 1.36 trillion, with halal products accounting for US $ 546 billion. Halal food constituted 43 per cent of this figure, followed by chemicals at 26 per cent and medicine at approximately 11 per cent. The services associated with halal were valued at US $ 815 billion, with tourism, transport, and business services making up 20-22 per cent of this sector.

Despite the broad global market,

Thailand ' s halal exports stood at US $ 8.85 billion, indicating only 1.6 per cent of the global halal market share. This highlighted a considerable opportunity for growth.

Supakit noted:“ Currently, Thailand’ s main exports are food, making up 67 per cent of halal export value( around US $ 6 billion), followed by chemicals at 20 per cent( US $ 1.75 billion).”

GLOBAL HALAL EXPORTS

The five leading countries in global halal exports were identified as China, the US, India, Germany, and Brazil. The largest importers and consumers are primarily Organisation of Islamic Cooperation( OIC) nations, with Turkey leading at 18 per cent( approximately US $ 45 billion), followed by Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates( UAE), and Malaysia; all key markets with substantial potential for Thai exporters.

“ Finance, capability, and collaboration will drive SME success.”

- Phichit Mitrawong