Halal Fair has strengthened the halal lifestyle trend and inspired halal events in Indonesia by showcasing product innovations from a number of companies in the country.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Carrying the theme ‘The Most Inspiring Halal Event’, Halal Fair has created a halal lifestyle trend and inspired halal events in Indonesia by showcasing product innovations from a number of companies in the country.

The Halal Fair, which has been held since 2019, is a strategic means to increase sharia economic literacy, expand market share and persuade people to implement a halal lifestyle, Halal Fair Project Director Satrio Sukur said in his remarks at the opening of Halal Fair Jakarta 2024, here on Friday.

“Halal Fair has actually become a necessity, especially for the Muslim community. Therefore, we have held it in a series in capital Jakarta, Tangerang district (Banten province) and Yogyakarta. Alhamdulillah, all of them received enthusiastic responses,” he added.

According to him, no less than 20,000 visitors – most of them families – crowd the Halal Fair area every time the event is held. He is optimistic that this year's Jakarta Halal Fair would attract around 30,000 visitors.

Consistency and commitment of WPCitra as the organizer have received appreciation from the Jakarta Islamic Economic Community (locally known as MES).

In his remarks on the same occasion, MES Jakarta Secretary General Adang Adha said that the Halal Fair, which was held in a series in several cities, was able to become a locomotive in efforts to increase the Islamic economic and financial literacy in Indonesia, which currently only reaches 23.3 percent.

The Islamic economic literacy is expected to reach 50 percent by 2025 to realize Indonesia's mission as the world's center of Islamic economy.

Adang also highlighted that even though Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world (Muslims represent more than 85 percent of its population, or around 230 million people), the contribution of the Islamic economy in the country is still recorded at 12 percent.

"There are many domestic market potentials that have not been properly developed, such as Muslim fashion, halal culinary, sharia commercial and social finance," he noted, while inviting all related sectors to strengthen the sharia economic ecosystem, among others by using more halal products and transacting with sharia finance.

The opening remarks were also delivered by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno. Through a video broadcast, he emphasized that the Halal Fair is a strategic platform to introduce Indonesian halal products.

"The halal industry contributes greatly to the national economy, and the Halal Fair is a benchmark for the development of a sustainable and environmentally friendly creative industry," the minister of tourism and creative economy said.

The Jakarta Halal Fair 2024 was held at the Kartika Expo Center, Balai Kartini, on August 9-11, and was attended by 136 exhibitors from 117 brands from various business categories, including sharia banking and finance, halal beauty, tour and travel, fashion, education, culinary, and other multi-products.

Reporting by Indonesia Window