Harris and Trump make final push in must-win Pennsylvania    Drones and snipers on standby to protect Arizona vote-counters    India's Modi condemns violence after Canada temple incident    Elon Musk can keep giving $1m to voters, judge rules    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    Tourism Development Fund launches "Tourism Empowerment" programs to enhance sustainable growth of SMEs    Saudi crown prince, Tunisian president review bilateral relations in phone call    SFDA Chief visits premier biotechnology and medical firms in China    Al-Khereiji: Collective action in combating terrorism is a must for achieving stability and prosperity    Saudi Awwal Bank becomes the Kingdom's first bank obtaining ISO certification for quality management system in operations    10 cooperation agreements signed during Saudi-Turkish Business Forum in Istanbul    Saudi Arabia's non-oil revenues grow 6% in 9 months while Q3 budget posts SR30 billion deficit    Quincy Jones, titan of US music, dies aged 91    Enhancing zakat, tax, and customs compliance takes center stage at the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Conference 2024    Neymar expected to join Al Hilal squad for AFC clash against Esteghlal, says coach Jesus    Al Qadsiah secure 2-0 victory over Al Ettifaq in first Eastern Derby since 2021    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    Teri Garr, Young Frankenstein and Tootsie star, dies at 79    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



‘Halal' consumerism
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 23 - 11 - 2013

Two Egyptian women buy “breathable” nail polish from a store in a Dubai shopping mall. From cosmetics to accommodation, travel to toothpaste, complying with religious principles is becoming big business in the Muslim world, and Dubai, better known for flamboyance and unrestrained consumerism sees an opportunity. – Reuters
DUBAI – From cosmetics to accommodation, travel to toothpaste, complying with religious principles is becoming big business in the Muslim world, and Dubai, better known for flamboyance and unrestrained consumerism, sees an opportunity.
The emirate is mounting the world's first systematic drive to profit from “halal” goods and services by setting global standards for them and providing certification where the standards are met.
In January Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, announced plans to make the emirate a centre of the “Islamic economy”. Next week, Dubai will host a conference on the subject that it is expected to attract over 2,000 officials, businessmen and consumers from around the world.
“Dubai's economy hinges on its maintenance of coexistence among faiths,” said Jim Krane, a fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy in the United States.
“That makes Dubai an ideal testing ground for halal standards. If halal standards are too restrictive and impinge on social freedoms, they might hurt business.”
A decade ago the term “halal”, an Arabic word meaning “permissible”, was applied mostly to the food eaten by Muslims. Increasingly it is also being used to describe a range of products and services, including high fashion, toiletries, medicine, hotels and tourism, entertainment and education.
Halal toothpaste and medical products do not include alcohol or animal derivatives from banned sources,. Halal fashion means clothes that are both modest and trendy.
For women crowded round a counter in a glitzy Dubai mall, one nail varnish had the appeal of being “breathable”, letting moisture and oxygen pass through, so the wearer could properly wash as required before prayers.
“I've been waiting for such a product for so long,” said Mai Elsakhawy, an Egyptian resident of Dubai in her early 30s. “I can now wear my nail polish without violating my religious beliefs and affecting my prayers.”
Some of the growing emphasis on halal products may be due to increased piety in parts of the Muslim world. For some people it has become a consumer trend, encouraged by companies advertising new products to stimulate demand.
Nobody knows how much of the Muslim world's spending will become halal, but a report to be released next week by Thomson Reuters and DinarStandard, a New York advisory firm that focuses on emerging Muslim markets, estimates Muslim consumer spending on food and lifestyles totalled $1.62 trillion in 2012.
“The real development that is happening now, and which is the big opportunity, is that halal is now a lifestyle segment,” said Rafi-uddin Shikoh, chief executive of DinarStandard.
“The underlying business proposition is a large customer segment that is increasingly making purchasing decisions that include, among other attributes, Islamic principles.”
With a population of 2.2 million and a limited manufacturing base, Dubai cannot hope to make the bulk of halal products itself. So it is developing design and accreditation standards for them, hoping that the standards will become used globally.
If that happens, Dubai's economy may benefit as multinational firms serving Muslim markets base research and marketing operations in the emirate. This could in turn prompt them to raise money in Dubai's Islamic capital markets.
“Dubai, and for that matter any centre that is focusing on the developing halal market, will see various economic and financial by-products,” said Shikoh.
Currently, halal certification for food and other products is fragmented around the world, with companies seeking separate approvals in the individual markets they deal with.
Dubai aims to operate a globally accepted certification process that would be easier and cheaper. The emirate's government plans to open an international laboratory and accreditation centre in the first quarter of next year.
“Manufacturers, producers and certification bodies should have a proper financial solution,” said Amina Ahmed Mohammed, director of the accreditation department in Dubai's city government.
“Our prime objective is with UAE (United Arab Emirates) companies, but our accreditation is international - it can be used anywhere else.”
Mohammed said Dubai was talking to other accreditation bodies around the world in an effort to create a commonly recognised halal label that could be attached to products. The emirate will offer to train personnel conducting Islamic certification and quality testing in other countries.
Among service industries, Dubai may have an advantage in its tourism industry, which is already the Gulf's most vibrant. In the last few years, some hotels have begun marketing themselves as halal. This can mean little more than alcohol-free premises, but some hotels offer facilities such as women-only floors.
Dubai-based Hospitality Management Holdings, which runs 20 alcohol-free hotels across the Middle East, said they were appealing to many non-Muslims who were looking for family-friendly accommodation. About 50-60 percent of its customers in Dubai are non-Muslims, the company said.
Other areas in which Dubai aims to court Islamic business include halal industrial parks - communities of halal-oriented businesses that have already been developed in Malaysia.
It also hopes to develop a set of standards for halal corporate governance, covering issues such as information disclosure. It is believed to be one of the first times that a government is trying to formalise Islamic guidelines for the behaviour of corporations other than banks and insurers.
Krane said Muslims around the world would take some convincing that a “certified halal in Dubai” label was legitimate, but noted the emirate's strong business record.
“This is not a niche like diamonds or beach volleyball. It is a sensitive task that affects more than a billion Muslims around the world,” he said.
“However, Dubai is good at selling things. It sold houses while their building sites were in the open sea. If anyone can mount a convincing sales campaign, it is Dubai.” – Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.