The Russian capital of Moscow will be hosting the second Moscow International Halal Exposition to be held from May 26 – 28, 2011 at the Crocus Expo International Exhibition Centre.
With one in every five said to be Muslim, the estimated 27 million total Muslim population (2009) in Russia presents a significant market for Halal food and consumer products, as well as Islamic finance and Halal tourism sector. This is not withstanding the spillover from non Muslim market segments, within the 141.9 million total population of Russia.
In a bid to address this lucrative emerging market, in just two short years, the Moscow Halal Expo has become the go-to venue where Russians and foreign Halal companies can meet, present their businesses, engage in training seminars and roundtable discussions as well as exchange ideas and experiences within areas of Halal manufacturing, standards and certification.
Roushan Abbyasov, Head of the Russia Muftis Council Administration
Halal Media speaks to the chairman of the organizing committee, Roushan Abbyasov, who is also the head of the Russia Muftis Council Administration, on this key event which is now fully supported by the Russian Government, confirming an openness of the Russia Federation for investments and cooperation with the Muslim world.
Please tell us about this idea of holding the Moscow Halal Expo, its main purpose and why is it special?
The very title of the exhibition – Moscow Halal Expo – highlights its special status. It will feature only products and services that are totally Shariah compliant and should attract entrepreneurs from many countries and diverse industries. Moscow Halal Expo would also provide a comprehensive understanding about the achievements of Russians within Halal industry, both in domestic and international markets.
The aims of the Halal exhibition are diverse. For one, we are interested in acquainting our fellow citizens with this huge market segment, demonstrate the merits of Halal production which represents health and high quality, and attract the attention of representatives from other religions. It is also important to show that Russia Halal market presents a huge opportunity for investors, not only within material productions, but also in services and financial services sectors.
Our experience in last year’s exhibition proved that these goals are fully achievable. Moscow Halal Expo is now supported by the Russian government, since it promotes the state policy to increase cooperation with Islamic countries. The event is supported by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Regional Development. It has now been included within the government’s draft plan of exhibition-fair and congressional events for 2011, held under the patronage of the Government of Moscow.
The Moscow Halal Expo is also unique as it portrays the spiritual aspect of life as Muslims in Russia. The event will present visitors with excellent opportunities to meet with fellow Muslims from around the world, immerse within the air of friendliness and true brotherhood, and hopefully learn from each other new cultures and new ideas. We hope to impart a sense of belonging for the Muslims in Russia with the rest of the global Muslim Ummah. From our daily routines, we often forget about the plights and achievements of our fellow brothers worldwide. This is a place to remind us and to showcase and be proud of them.
Will the Moscow Halal Expo be structured any differently this year?
Like in the previous year, a variety of Halal industry sectors will be represented, including in Food Processing (e.g. meat, dairy products, cookery etc.), Tourism Services (Hajj and Muslim holiday operators), Catering, Arts and Crafts, Publishing, Apparel, Cosmetics, as well as Banking & Financial Services.
We are also planning a special focus on Halal Tourism. Local tour operators as well as from Malaysia, Turkey and Croatia have agreed to take part in this exhibition. Despite this, we welcome all those whose products and services are appropriate for Islamic norms, even non Muslim-owned businesses. Also, participants and guests may expect a more substantive cultural program that meets the interests within a variety of trade visitors, including film shows, concerts of nasheed performers, as well as fashion show with the participation of foreign designers.
In addition, a new competition to find the “Best Halal Product” and “Best Exponent” will also be organized throughout the event.
There is some emphasis on an expanded business programme for the Expo. Can you tell us what to expect this year?
Yes, we will also be featuring an expanded business program, which is a new addition this year. For this, we have structured several items on the agenda, including:
• Traditional business meetings with potential investors, and presentations of investment projects in alternative energy, transportation, as well as production of meat products.
• Discussion on key issues within Halal industry, Islamic finance as well as business projects and master classes.
• Meetings between representatives of major Russian retailers and Halal manufacturers will also be organized, as they are expected to expand their range of halal products offerings.
• A roundtable discussion on Halal certification in Russia and abroad will also be held.
Due to large volumes of export and import of products, it has become necessary to unify the certification system. This discussion will be attended by certification authorities and controlling bodies from Pakistan, Malaysia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan.
St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia - built by Ivan the Terrible between 1555 and 1561. Photo by Ugur Can, Germany.
The growing interest in the Russian Halal market is attracting international attention. How many foreign companies have confirmed attendance for this year’s event?
A total of 62 companies from Russia, Palestine, UAE, Indonesia and Belarus attended the first Moscow International Exhibition of Halal last year and it was held in conjunction with Expo Arabia in June 2010. This year, the Moscow Halal Expo will be held on their own since we are confident that the number of foreign visitors will increase remarkably.
We have been working throughout the year to build strong working relationships with various foreign counterparts. These include organisations related to state regulation within the financial sector, industry, trade, production and certification of products within such countries as Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, Bahrain, as well as the CIS countries. We are also actively developing and promoting cooperation with other European Muslim organizations, since we share common problems in areas of Halal certification.
We are expecting more visitors this year, approximately five thousand, as compared to two thousand last year.
How involved are Russian companies in foreign Halal exhibitions?
Actually, Russian companies regularly participate in other Halal exhibitions around the world. Last year for example, Russian Halal products were introduced in Kazakhstan, Turkey, Pakistan and also Malaysia. This year, several producers have also participated in the recent Paris Halal Expo and MIHAS in Kuala Lumpur. Among the products featured include Russian Halal meat products, chocolates, also new technologies and advancement in mass production, as well as Islamic banking and finance which is an potentially attractive area for foreign partnership. These experiences confirm that the interest in Russian producers and the Russian Halal market is growing steadily each year.
We are pleased to note the increasing number of Russian companies and public organizations joining this initiative, and we hope that together we can achieve, by the will of Almighty, significant advances for the sake of quality improvements of goods and services produced for the Russian consumers.
- Halal Media.
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