(MENAFN- QNA) The Malaysian Halal Industry Development Corp (HDC) aims to increase halal export products to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from below RM2 billion now to RM10 billion ($3 Billion) soon, chief executive officer, Jamil Bidin said Thursday.
He said the corporation was confident of achieving its target through the penetration into Saudi Arabia, which played an important role among the GCC countries.
"As we know, all Muslims will go to Mecca (Saudi Arabia) to perform their haj and umrah. Therefore, the need to supply ready-made food is vital to cater to the huge demand.
"So, by increasing our capacity to supply more food and beverages to the holy place, our local brands will be able to create a good branding among the pilgrims, the local companies in Saudi Arabia, which has a population of 29 million, and among the GCC members," he told Malaysian news agency " Bernama".
Thus, HDC has signed a collaboration with a Saudi Arabian company, Samyco Holdings Bhd, to allow over 100 local halal companies to bring their products to the country.
Founded in 2010, Samyco was set up as an agent and a distributor of food and beverages in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Arabian Gulf.
"Besides food and beverages, there are also demand for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics from the country. "Out of the 100 companies, 70 per cent are Bumiputera-owned," he said.
Last year, HDC said Malaysia exported halal products worth RM33 billion. The major destinations were China (RM6 billion), Singapore (RM3 billion) and the US (RM1 billion).
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.