The 4th OIC Halal Middle East exhibition, which will be held at Expo Centre Sharjah from Dec. 8 to 10, is launching a new vertical targeting the halal tourism segment. To be held as part of Halal Middle East, the Halal Tourism Middle East is an acknowledgement of long-held credentials of Sharjah as a pioneer in culture, religion, education, art, architecture and a family friendly destination. "Halal Tourism Middle East celebrates Sharjah's selection as the ‘Capital of Arab Tourism' for 2015, as well the recognition of Sharjah's unique tourism offerings that have been growing in stature at local, regional and international levels over the years," said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah. Previously, Sharjah was also chosen as the Capital of Islamic Culture by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in 2014 and, in 1998, UNESCO recognized Sharjah as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World. Halal Tourism Middle East 2015 will help ministries of tourism, other government departments, travel agencies, hotels & resorts, airlines and the likes to tap into this growing market, which globally saw Muslims spending $142 billion on travel in 2014. By 2020, the market is expected to reach $233 billion. Experts point out that the boom is driven by the rising Muslim populations in many countries and supported by a young, educated and assertive demographic. "Halal Middle East, along with its focus on tourism, will take advantage of new market opportunities, which is strongly led by the food & beverage and finance sectors, and has expanded into the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, personal-care and other segments. The global halal industry is going to converge on Sharjah to take advantage of a range of compelling opportunities in the region," added Midfa. Held under the aegis of Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council member and ruler of Sharjah, Halal Middle East will feature more than 100 exhibitors from prominent halal-producing countries. Besides, aiming to promote member states' portfolio, the OIC's Islamic Center for Development and Trade will lead a pavilion of exhibitors from countries such as Azerbaijan, Egypt, Jordan, Malaysia, Mozambique, Palestine, Senegal, Turkey and the UAE. Halal Middle East also has a special focus area – Halal Cosmetics, apart from international pavilions from China, Iran, Malaysia and Netherlands featuring a comprehensive range of halal food and beverages, apart from a wide variety of other halal products & services. At the show, visitors can also meet Islamic promotion & development associations, certification & classification bodies, hotels, restaurants & franchises, apart from service providers such as Islamic banks, insurance firms, tourism agencies etc. Halal Middle East is also featuring an expanded Kitchen Equipment — Horeca Middle East 2015, providing an A-Z sourcing opportunity for all the needs of the hospitality sector. The exhibition will be organized by Expo Centre Sharjah in association with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. On display will be an extensive range of Shariah-compliant food and beverages, ingredients, herbs & spices, processed food, fruits & vegetables and other halal products and services. The show will host more than 125 exhibitors from Algeria, Austria, Egypt, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE & USA.
