The D-8 Halal Expo Indonesia is expected to be a catalyst for private sector networking and cooperation, intra-D-8 trade and investment, strengthening research and capacity building, and expanding cooperation within the halal economy ecosystem.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anis Matta stated that the 2026 D-8 Halal Expo Indonesia (HEI) represents a concrete step by the government to encourage national economic growth by strengthening Indonesia's economic integration with the Islamic world.

The 2026 D-8 HEI was opened by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with a number Indonesian officials and ambassadors of the D-8 member countries in Jakarta, Wednesday (July 8).

“Amidst various global economic challenges, Indonesia continues to drive national economic growth. One way is by strengthening Indonesia's economic integration with the Islamic world, including through the development of the halal economy," Anis Matta said.

D-8 Secretary-General Sohail Mahmood expressed his appreciation to Indonesia for hosting the first D-8 Halal Expo in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta.

He expressed hope that the D-8 Halal Expo would be a catalyst for private sector networking and cooperation, intra-D-8 trade and investment, strengthening research and capacity building, and expanding cooperation within the halal economy ecosystem.

 During the five-day event (July 8-12), the D-8 HEI featured a trade exhibition, business matching, and a panel discussion, the D-8 HEI Talks, featuring government officials, businesspeople, and investors from D-8 countries.

The event attracted high enthusiasm from exhibitors, buyers, and visitors from D-8 member countries and several other countries, including the Netherlands, Djibouti, India, Palestine, France, Uzbekistan, and Jordan.

The Executive Director of Indonesia’s National Committee for Islamic Economics and Finance (known as KNEKS), Sholahudin Al Aiyub, emphasized that the D-8 Halal Expo is designed as a platform to generate concrete business collaborations, one of which is through matchmaking, bringing together exporters and importers.

"Indonesia strives to facilitate the birth of business partnerships, knowledge exchange, and concrete trade transactions," Sholahudin said.

The holding of the D-8 HEI 2026 is a manifestation of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's statement made at the 11th D-8 Summit in Cairo on December 19, 2024, which emphasized the importance of establishing a halal value chain by strengthening halal economic networks and Indonesia's commitment to becoming a major hub for the global halal economy.

The D-8 HEI is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, KNEKS, The Indonesian Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (known as BPJPH), and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

About the D-8 (the Organization of Eight Developing Countries)

The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) was established in 1997 to strengthen economic cooperation and development among its member countries.

The D-8 has members of Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, which joined the organization in 2025.

The D-8 Secretariat is based in Istanbul, Turkey. As an economic cooperation forum, the D-8 has significant collective power, with a total population of approximately 1.3 billion people, or 16 percent of the world's population, and a combined gross domestic product of approximately 5.1 trillion US dollars.

*1 US dollar = 18,092.95 rupiahs

The D-8 chairmanship rotates among member countries. Indonesia currently holds the D-8 chairmanship for the 2026–2027 term.

Previously, Indonesia served as D-8 chairman from 2006–2008, which resulted in the signing of the D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement (D-8 PTA) in the country’s Bali province.

Since its entry into force in June 2024, the D-8 PTA has benefited national exporters with an export value of approximately 36.4 million US dollars.

In addition to strengthening trade, D-8 cooperation is also aimed at enhancing the halal ecosystem through cross-border investment, industrial cooperation, and innovation to further integrate halal products and services into the global value chain.

Reporting by Indonesia Window