The fourth 4th OIC Halal Middle East exhibition is taking place at Expo Centre Sharjah. The fourth 4th OIC Halal Middle East exhibition is taking place at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The fourth OIC Halal Middle East exhibition got underway at Expo Centre Sharjah on Tuesday (December 8), shining a light on the Muslim population's rising share of the world’s consumer spending.

Being held under the patronage of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, Halal Middle East has launched a new vertical targeting the halal tourism segment, Halal Tourism Middle East 2015, and featuring the expanded Kitchen Equipment - HoReCa Middle East 2015 as a concurrent show.

The event was opened by H.E. Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, chairman of Sharjah Sea Ports and Customs, in the presence of Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, chairman, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah, among others.

“The 4th OIC Halal Middle East comes at a time when the UAE is emerging as a global leader in the rapidly growing Islamic economy, which is expanding at nearly twice the rate of the global economy and Muslim consumer spending is on the rise. Awareness about halal products is increasing and more products are being certified to comply with Shariah,” said Midfa.

According to experts, halal products and services are receiving more global attention since the core market, the Muslim population, which is close to 1.8 billion now, is expected to reach 2.2 billion by 2030.

“There is no better platform in the region than the Halal Middle East for global halal players to best explore the market, which has resulted in the show featuring exhibitors from across the world, besides some of the leading names in the country and the region.

"The new tourism vertical gives one more reason for the regional industry to visit the show,” Midfa.

Delegations and business teams from several countries are visiting the show in order to find new markets and develop their products according to local needs and comply with relevant halal standards and certifications.

This has mostly been facilitated by the large number of international associations and industry bodies that are supporting the show.

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The third Kitchen Equipment-HoReCa Middle East 2015 is aiming to leverage the fast-expanding regional hospitality industry on the back of preparations for several upcoming events, increasing tourism and a stronger exhibitions sector.

Apart from kitchen essentials, the expanded Kitchen Equipment-HoReCa Middle East has brought together catering supplies, hotel equipment & supplies, furniture, furnishings, tableware, catering equipment, facilities management and technology solutions.

A key highlight of this part of the show is the Chef’s Tech Arena, which provides live displays of kitchen equipment.