14 MIHAS 2026
14 MIHAS 2026
@ Halal | September-October. 2026
Passport to new markets
� MIHAS 2026 is positioning Malaysia as a gateway to the global halal economy, bringing 14 halal sectors together under one international platform.
� Around 300 international buyers from 50 countries are expected to connect with Malaysian exporters at MIHAS 2026.
� Malaysia is banking on the credibility of its halal certification and ecosystem to turn global trust into greater trade.
Malaysia has spent decades building one of the world’ s most recognised halal ecosystems.
The task now is to turn that credibility into greater international trade as global halal demand moves well beyond food into pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, modest fashion, Islamic finance, tourism and digital technology.
For the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation( MATRADE), that means doing more than promoting Malaysian products overseas. It means helping businesses overcome one of the biggest hurdles confronting exporters: gaining access to unfamiliar markets and the right buyers.
The Malaysia International Halal Showcase( MIHAS) has become one of the country’ s most important platforms for doing just that.
Its 22nd edition, MIHAS 2026, will be held from Sept 23 to 26 under the theme“ Shaping Trust, Driving Resilience”, bringing exporters, buyers, investors and industry players from around the world onto a single platform.
MATRADE Strategic Planning Division Senior Director Raja Badrulnizam Raja Kamalzaman said:“ At MATRADE, our core mission is to elevate Malaysian businesses onto the global stage, and MIHAS serves as one of our most strategic catalysts to achieve this.”
In 2025, participating buyers represented combined global purchasing power of more than US $ 1.5 trillion and took part in some 4,000 scheduled business-matching sessions.
Since 2004, INSP has generated more than RM20.62 billion in export sales for 10,600 Malaysian companies. After generating RM3.63 billion through INSP at MIHAS 2025, this year’ s showcase is targeting RM5 billion in total sales.
China was the largest represented market among exhibitors and visitors at MIHAS 2025, while South Korea and Japan also recorded
Raja Badrulnizam Raja Kamalzaman
of its halal ecosystem gives its exporters an important advantage.
The ecosystem has been built over decades, supported by institutions including the Halal Development Corporation and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia( JAKIM), which handles halal certification.
According to Raja Badrulnizam, Malaysian halal certification is recognised by 96 certification bodies in 49 countries.
That credibility extends through the supply chain, covering ingredients, process-
TRADE CONNECTIONS: MIHAS exhibition draws businesses and visitors across the exhibition floor, highlighting the platform’ s role in fostering international trade and market connections.
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OPENING MARKETS Breaking into an overseas market can be expensive, complicated and daunting, particularly for smaller businesses without an international presence.
MIHAS seeks to shorten that journey through its International Sourcing Programme( INSP), tapping MATRADE’ s network of 47 international trade offices to identify buyers and connect them directly with Malaysian exporters.
For MIHAS 2026, about 300 high-value buyers from 50 countries are expected to participate. More importantly, buyers are pre-screened by purchasing potential, making the programme about business rather than merely footfall.
The scale of that opportunity is considerable.
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“ Halal is not just about recognition; it’ s about trust.”
Raja Badrulnizam Raja Kamalzaman
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strong participation.
But MATRADE is looking beyond established markets. Buyers from Algeria, Congo, Costa Rica, Ghana, Mali and Panama participated in last year’ s INSP, illustrating the widening geographical reach of the halal economy.
“ The halal business ecosystem does not start and stop at MIHAS alone,” Raja Badrulnizam said, pointing to MATRADE’ s international offices as a continuing source of opportunities and follow-up after the exhibition ends.
BUILDING CONFIDENCE Finding buyers, however, is only part of the equation.
International trade ultimately rests on confidence— and Malaysia believes the credibility
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ing, logistics and imported inputs.“ Halal is not just about recognition; it’ s about trust,” he said.
That distinction is important because halal is increasingly relevant beyond Muslim-majority markets. The proposition encompasses qualities such as safety, hygiene, ethics, and product quality— attributes that can appeal to a much broader international consumer base.
In that sense, Malaysia is not merely exporting halal-certified products. It is exporting the confidence behind the certification.
DIGITAL CONNECTIONS MIHAS 2026 is also adding a stronger digital layer to the way businesses find one another.
The MADANI Digital Trade Platform
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