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WHBC 2021
@ Halal | November-December . 2021
Catalyst for recovery
Ismail Sabri says there are immense opportunities in halal industries catering to the sufficiency of a nation
THE INAUGURAL EDITION of the World Halal Business Conference 2021 ( WHBC 2021 ) organised by the Halal Development Corporation ( HDC ) was officiated by Dato ’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob , the Prime Minister of Malaysia , with the event attended by 3,000 online delegates from more than 60 countries .
A rebrand of the long-running World Halal Forum , WHBC 2021 aimed to be the halal industry ’ s leading stage for government representatives , key opinion leaders , captains of industries and experts to discuss their roles and contributions in accelerating global economic recovery .
With the theme “ Halal – The Catalyst for Universal Economic Recovery ”, Dato ’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali , Senior Minister , Minister of International Trade and Industry Malaysia ( MITI ), delivered the keynote address for WHBC 2021 on behalf of the Prime Minister .
Ismail Sabri applauded the aptness and relevance of the event and its overall theme , given the current global economic recovery process where halal can assume an important feature and be a catalyst through its various value propositions .
“ This Conference demonstrates the firm commitment and reliance of all stakeholders that the halal economy remains resilient and becoming a strong contributor to the global economic recovery ,” said the Prime Minister .
With Covid-19 causing widespread downtown to the global economy , he added that questions have emerged about the need for self-sufficiency in certain critical products , including halal that cut across pharmaceuticals , medical devices , and food .
He reasoned the halal food and beverage industry alone was worth about US $ 2.1 trillion , while the halal cosmetics and the halal pharmaceuticals industries were collectively worth US $ 136 billion .
“ Hence , there are immense opportunities in these halal industries not only in terms of business but more importantly , catering to the sufficiency of a nation ,” said Ismail Sabri .
He also called for proactiveness in helping the halal micro , small and medium enterprises ( MSMEs ), which account for 70 per cent of total halal industry players . Many of these were micro-businesses operating in the F & B sector .
Earlier , Ismail Sabri also launched the Halal Integrated Platform ( HIP ). This one-stop digital halal platform connects industry players , especially among the micro , small , and medium
The halal food and beverages industry alone was worth about US $ 2.1 trillion , while the halal cosmetics and the halal pharmaceuticals industries were collectively worth US $ 136 billion .”
enterprises ( MSMEs ), to government agencies , businesses and consumers within the entire halal ecosystem .
HIP gathers halal service providers and suppliers on one platform and facilitates worldwide connections and communication between the industry players , thus giving businesses a competitive edge to tap into this growing industry .
“ The pandemic has also exposed vulnerabilities in the halal industry , particularly amongst the MSMEs . Players , therefore , must be quick to adopt digital solutions in the fast-changing technological landscape to stay ahead of the curve and compete globally ,” added Ismail Sabri .
At the same time , Ismail Sabri stressed the halal industry and the Islamic finance sector should work together . It is to create a fully halal economy , as a way to complement each other along its entire value chain , and to produce what the Malaysia International Islamic Finance Center ( MIFC ) refers to as “ holistic end-to-end Shariah-compliance ”.
“ Malaysia is the only country with a complete and comprehensive ecosystem that has the capacity and know-how to support further developments within the halal industry .
“ The strategies undertaken by HDC are expected to exponentially increase the number of local MSMEs as halal exporters through its Trusted Halal Business platforms that encourage public-private cooperation , including the WHBC and HIP ,” he added .
Similar to the previous World Halal Conference , the inaugural WHBC 2021 continued to attract many renowned industry captains and international speakers and panellists , including Dr Justin Lee ( Australian High Commissioner ), David Evan Malcomson ( South African High Commissioner ), Abdoulaye Barro ( Senegal Ambassador ) and Ebrahim Patel ( Minister of Trade , Industry and Competition of South Africa ).
Also present were Dato ’ Dr Noor Zari Hamat ( Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism , Arts and Culture Malaysia ), Datuk Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour ( Deputy Governor , The Central Bank of Malaysia ) and Dato ’ Charon Wardini Mokhzani ( Group Managing Director , Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad ).
WHBC 2021 has become a staple of the global halal calendar . An international meeting of the halal industry community in exploring opportunities and challenges in the halal economy , the conference discussed current as well as future initiatives in laying down the groundwork and driving the industry towards a higher rate of growth .
Organised by HDC , WHBC 2021 is supported by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation ( MATRADE ), Malaysia Investment Development Authority ( MIDA ) and Securities Commission Malaysia ( SC ).
The event and content partners included Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad , UOB Malaysia , Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad , Capital Markets Malaysia , Malaysian Takaful Association , Duopharma Biotech Berhad , Fraser & Neave Holdings Berhad and CIMB Islamic , with Malaysia Airlines acting as Official Airline partner .
Revon Media was one the event ’ s Media partners .