Director of the Economic Division at the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO), Frank F.C. Lu, has expressed his deep impress for Muslim LifeFest 2024, which was held simultaneously with two other major events: Muslim EduFest and Jakarta Halal Expo and Conference (JHEC).

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Director of the Economic Division at the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO), Frank F.C. Lu, has extended his deep appreciation for Muslim LifeFest 2024, which was held simultaneously with two other major events, namely Muslim EduFest education exhibition and Jakarta Halal Expo and Conference (JHEC).

"This event is very impressive because it combines three major events in one place and time. There are tradings and education engagement as well," he said shortly after the opening ceremony of Muslim LifeFest, Muslim EduFair, and Jakarta Halal Expo and Conference (JHEC) at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) in Tangerang city, Banten province, on Friday (Sep 30).

The event, organized by the Indonesian Muslim Entrepreneurs Community (locally known as its abbreviation KPMI), was officially opened by the Indonesian Minister of Trade, Zulkifli Hasan.

Muslim LifeFest 2024, which marks its fourth edition on Muslim lifestyle, features halal product bazaars including those on goods and services from businesses, Islamic scientific studies, business-themed talk shows, and various other events.

Meanwhile, JHEC is a business-to-business (B2B) event that brings together entrepreneurs from different countries to build business networks and expand their product markets.

Furthermore, the Taiwanese diplomat elaborated that halal certification is also a concern for his government and people.

"In November last year, the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association (THIDA), which is Taiwan's Halal Promotion Agency, signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with the Indonesian Halal Product Assurance Agency under the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia," Frank explained.

With this agreement, he continued, Taiwanese food and beverage products can be exported freely to Indonesia without needing further inspection regarding halal product standards.

According to him, this agreement could boost the trade of halal products between the two parties.

In 2023, Mastercard and CrescentRating jointly released the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), ranking Taiwan third among non-Organization of Islamic Cooperation (non-OIC) destinations.

Currently, major transportation hubs and tourist spots in Taiwan, such as international airports, Taipei Main Station, Kaohsiung Station, Hualien Station, Taichung High-Speed Rail Station, thirteen national tourist areas, and freeway service areas, have prayer rooms for Muslim visitors.

Considering the dietary and worship needs of Muslim tourists, Taiwan has designed a Muslim-friendly travel plan to create a welcoming environment for Muslim visitors.

Halal trade in the Region

Muslim LifeFest 2024 also featured exhibitors from fellow countries, including Japan, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.

“We are pleased to participate in Muslim LifeFest. Indonesia and Malaysia are major Muslim countries with vast markets for halal products,” Nazrul Hisham Bin Abdul Hamid, Director of Ahad Corporate Ventures Sdn Bhd Malaysia, said.

MasterCard CrescentRatings reports that in the past two years, Indonesia and Malaysia have consistently topped the 'Global Muslim-Friendly Destinations' list. Collectively, the ASEAN region has become the most attractive destination for Muslim travelers.

During the Muslim LifeFest 2024 on Friday (August 30), the Indonesian Muslim Entrepreneurs Community (KPMI), in collaboration with Malaysia's Tahira Group, Halal International China (Hong Kong and Macau), and the Thai Muslim Manufacturers Association, launched the ASEAN Halal Pavilion.

"Developing the halal economy and industry in the ASEAN region and globally requires collaboration and synergy to produce concrete and actionable steps," Rachmat Sutarnas Marpaung, Chairman of KPMI Central, said during the launch event.

The ASEAN Halal Pavilion features three main products: Halalholidays.asia, an e-commerce portal offering Muslim-friendly vacation packages in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and China; NilaiMart.com, an e-commerce portal for regionally produced halal products; and Halal Logistics, an aggregator providing land/sea/air logistics services adhering to halal principles.

The ASEAN Halal Pavilion is expected to further strengthen ASEAN's position as a global halal industry hub.

Muslim LifeFest, Muslim EduFair, and Jakarta Halal Expo and Conference (JHEC) were held from August 30 to September 1, 2024.

Reporting by Indonesia Window