Business delegates from fellow countries participating in the Halal Fair Series in conjunction with the Halal Indonesia International Trade Show (HIITS) 2023 are enthusiastic with the huge enthusiasm of the locals for buying halal products during the event.

Tangerang, Banten (Indonesia Window) – A number of business delegates from fellow countries participating in the Halal Fair Series in conjunction with the 2023 Halal Indonesia International Trade Show (HIITS) are enthusiastic as they see the huge enthusiasm of locals for buying halal products during the event.

The 2023 Halal Fair – HIITS held by Wahyu Promo Citra for three days held at the Indonesia Convention Center in Serpong area, Tangerang city, from 8 to 10 December 2023, was participated in by 250 domestic exhibitors  and a number of foreign companies, including from those Malaysia, Palestine, Tunisia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Mali and Sudan.

On day 3, over 20,000 visitors have filled the booths featuring travel, fashion, beauty and cosmetics, food and beverage, and other brands, as well as taking part in dozens of side events such as scientific studies, business talk shows, and The Qur'an memorization competitions.

"Our enthusiasm is very high for this exhibition. We are optimistic that through this exhibition we can achieve a significant increase in the volume of contract signings and trade transactions between our exporters and Indonesian buyers. We are presenting prime Malaysian halal products," said Dr. Zuraini Hasanuddin as CEO of GEO Artha International (M) Sdn. Bhd. and the leader of the Malaysian delegation for the Halal Fair – HIITS 2023.

Malaysia is the country with the most exhibitors at the 2023 Halal Fair, presenting 48 MSME delegates at the Malaysian Halal MSME Product Pavilion which is supported by the government of the Kingdom of Selangor.

Zuraini said that exhibitors from Malaysia were looking for potential buyers and importers to market their prime halal MSME products to Indonesia.

"We are really working hard and hope that our products will penetrate the Indonesian market. Because our products are 100 percent produced by Muslims. Our trade transaction target is more than 5 million Malaysian ringgit (around 16.7 billion billion)," he said.

Meanwhile, the World Halal Product Promotion Agency, the International Islamic Marketing and Trade Chamber (WIMTC) Zuber bin HJ. Bakri, who also participated in the Halal Fair, highlighted the importance of MSMEs having connectivity between countries to market superior halal products.

"We see opportunities in the global market to raise MSMEs to the next level, by bringing together Malaysian and Indonesian MSME partners. For this reason, business matching to exhibitions like this is very important," he said.

Through his organization, Zuber seeks to increase economic strength by promoting superior halal products made by companies owned by Muslim entrepreneurs.

The variety of products from Indonesian MSME business actors, ranging from consumer goods, horticultural and plantation products such as vegetables, fruit, coffee and tea, as well as halal furniture and cosmetics made from agarwood wood, also attracts the attention of Malaysian importers.

At the Halal Fair 2023, the Palestinian community is collaborating with the Palestinian Embassy in Jakarta, helping to promote their country's products, as well as introducing Palestinian history and culture to visitors.

"We are showing a number of historical photos of various cities in Palestine and the Palestinian currency issued from 1927-1942," said Raed Mohammed Hassan Arada, a foreign student from Gaza, Palestine who teaches at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lampung.

The Palestinian Community Booth also sells various food products, authentic Palestinian dates and olive oil, as well as various other typical souvenirs imported directly from the land of the prophets.

Samer, a resident from the West Bank, said that most of the proceeds from sales at this year's Halal Fair would be donated to the Palestinian people. "The profits from this sale will go to Palestine, almost or maybe 100 percent," said the man who officially became an Indonesian citizen in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Tunisian and Saudi Arabian booths presented various superior products of dates, raisins and Arabian nuts. Meanwhile, Sudan and Mali promote their superior products such as nuts and gum or Arabic gum.

Reporting by Indonesia Window