GCC Halal food imports to hit 53.1 billion by 2020

HALAL food was the topic of interest at the 9th Dubai International Food Safety Conference and Exhibition (DIFSC), held in 8-11 November. In his speech, Dubai Municipality director general Hussain Nasser Lootah, said, “Halal food has an estimated annual global market value of $1 trillion, which equates to approximately 20 percent of a global food market predicted to reach $5.3 trillion by the end of 2014. Halal food imports into the GCC are set to jump from $25.8 billion in 2010 to $53.1 billion by 2020.” According to Mr Lootah, the UAE will account for $8.4 billion worth in Halal food imports by the end of the decade.

The conference aimed to tackle concerns over a global food supply that is increasingly growing complex. It stressed the importance of injecting new and innovative ways to help protect the supply chain as well as effectively prevent food safety issues.