Abbyas Shlyaposhnikov represented Russia at the halal forum in Saudi Arabia

The opening of the 1st Makkah Halal Forum took place today in Saudi Arabia. The forum is organized by Islamic Chamber Halal Services (ICHalal) and Manafea.

Chairman of the Halal Standards Committee of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan Abbyas Hazrat Shlyaposhnikov takes part in the event. It is noteworthy that Russia is represented at the event by the Republic of Tatarstan.

The forum is attended by leaders of the global halal industry such as: Secretary General of SMIIC Ihsan Ovyut, President of FAMBRAS Muhamad Hussein al-Zaghbi, General Director of JAKIM Hakima Mohd Yusoff, General Secretary of the National Federation of Azerbaijan Organization of Employers and Businessmen Natavan Mammadova, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dino Selimovic, General Director of the Food Industry and Agriculture Sector Muhammad bin Abdul Razzak Alokhali, General Director of the Islamic Chamber of Halal Services Ashraf Al-Tanbouli, Member of the Executive Board and Managing Director of the Food Development Company Ahmed bin Sharaf Osilan and others.

Hazrat Abbyas spoke in the first panel discussion of the forum, dedicated to successful models in the halal industry and case studies from abroad. In his speech, the Chairman of the Committee shared the goals and objectives of the Committee, his experience in Russia in implementing Halal standards. He noted that the Committee was the first in Russia to develop and register with the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology (Rosstandart) the “System of voluntary certification of products and services for compliance with the canons of Islam.”

“The first national halal standards have already been approved in Russia. The corresponding GOSTs were developed by the Project Technical Committee (PTC) for standardization No. 704 “Halal Products and Services”. Committee employees were part of it during the development of this GOST. These steps are caused by the need to “establish order” in the halal industry in Russia,” emphasized Abbyas Hazrat Shlyaposhnikov.

The Committee strives to ensure that Muslims in Russia can safely purchase products under the Halal mark and be confident in their quality. Abbyas Hazrat noted that the Committee is distinguished by its strict approach to compliance with all halal standards at the enterprise. This is confirmed by many of our partners in the regions of Russia. The Committee’s mark is recognizable; Muslims trust products bearing this mark.

Abbyas Hazrat Shlyaposhnikov paid special attention to the upcoming XV International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum” 2024, which will take place on May 14-19. The Chairman invited the guests to take part in this major event.

Every year in Russia the number of enterprises and the volume of production of halal products is growing. Part of the products is exported, and the volume of exports increases annually. It is worth noting that a number of enterprises certified by the Committee have experience in supplying halal products abroad. There are now 13 such enterprises.

“The export of poultry meat to non-CIS countries in January-July 2023 amounted to 148 thousand tons. More than 78 thousand tons came from China, over 30 thousand tons from Saudi Arabia, and more than 6 thousand tons from Azerbaijan, Vietnam and Uzbekistan. Production of poultry for slaughter in the Russian Federation during this period increased by 1.3% to 3.79 million tons,” the chairman announced the figures.

Makkah Halal Forum, as the organizers note, is a comprehensive platform that is significant for Muslim society, demonstrating the best halal services and products. The forum, which is being held for the first time, includes workshops, discussion groups and opportunities for partnerships and collaboration across sectors. This one-of-a-kind event, located in the strategic location of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, brings together exhibitors and speakers from all over the world. The Makkah Halal Forum will continue until January 25 at the Makkah Chamber for Exhibitions and Events Center.

Press service of the Halal Standard Committee