The Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC) and the Malaysia External Trade and Development Corporation (MATRADE) are set to host the Halal Cluster Week from 15 - 20 November 2021 at the Malaysia Pavilion, in conjunction with the ongoing World Expo 2020 Dubai in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Organisers HDC and MATRADE, both agencies under the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), will be using the Halal Cluster Week to showcase the country’s extensive capabilities in managing a global halal ecosystem and simultaneously, attract global players to use Malaysia as a viable hub for the production of halal products and services. At the Halal Cluster Week, HDC will be organizing daily thought leadership and pocket talks sessions, networking engagements and business meeting sessions throughout the five-day business mission to drive investor interest, raise awareness and initiate potential partnerships and collaborations. “The Halal Cluster Week in Dubai is an opportunity for us to increase global awareness of Malaysia’s capabilities in halal production and promotion, be it for halal funding with Islamic finance, or for halal integrity and traceability in the logistic industry which is today one of the key sectors that is ripe for further development and investment,” said HDC’s CEO Hairol Ariffein Sahari, during the launch of Halal Cluster Week. MATRADE will be hosting its Halal Business Showcase, featuring business meetings and business matching sessions via the Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) on Digital Halal Ecosystem, where a total of 19 Malaysian halal-certified and export-ready companies to be physically showcasing and offering various halal products and services for the global marketplace. UAE is a key economic partner for Malaysia and has consistently been Malaysia's major trading partner in the West Asia region. In 2020, amongst the West Asia countries, UAE has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner, largest export destination and second largest import source. From the first 8 months of 2021, total trade with UAE which was valued at RM13.97 billion (USD3.39 billion), increased 8.6% as compared to the corresponding period last year. Malaysia’s total exports which was valued at RM6.44 billion (USD1.56 billion) increased by 17.8% while total imports similarly increased by 1.8% to RM7.53 billion (USD1.83 billion). Malaysia will conclude its partnership with key trading partners through knowledge sharing, logistics and supply chain connectivity and market expansion through digital platform. These include HDC’s partnership with the African Institute of Islamic Finance (AIIF), Halal Supply Chain & Logistics training sessions and Malaysia’s Halal Digital platform showcase that features the Halal Integrated Platform (HIP) and Digital Augmented Reality Showcase (DASH). On Islamic Finance, the launch of the Financial Assistance Facility Fund by Standard Chartered Saadiq, in collaboration with HDC is expected to benefit both Malaysian companies expanding overseas and foreign companies planning to establish commercial presence in Malaysia’s Halal Industrial Parks. HDC also announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchange between HDC and the Chartered Institute Logistics and Transport (CILT) International, which will culminate in the development of the Halal Supply Chain Management System (HSCMS). FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Name: Norsida Ahmad HDC Corporate Communications Div Tel: +60123249703 Email: norsida.ahmad@hdcglobal.com SOURCE: HALAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BERHAD (HDC)