Press Releases 2019
Malaysian Companies Told to Explore Export Opportunities to Madinah
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) urges Malaysian companies in sectors such as construction, infrastructure development, building materials, tourism and various services to explore opportunities in Madinah following the government of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to boost Madinah’s presence globally.
Insights on the opportunities in the historical city, outside of the pilgrimage area, were shared with Malaysian companies at a seminar held at Menara MATRADE yesterday, titled Construction and Services Sector Opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The seminar was held in collaboration with Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (SAGIA) that is currently organising a mission to Malaysia.
Among the opportunities highlighted were in the construction and infrastructure sector as well as professional services to serve Saudi Arabia’s efforts to boost tourism in Madinah. The prospects are in projects such as the development of the integrated City of Dates, Knowledge Economic Cities, townhouses, hotels, a centralised entertainment hub, a tourist resort as well as malls, water theme park and outdoor sport facilities.
Other new areas Malaysian companies can explore are in the Umrah and Hajj facilitations namely in the setting up of food factories to cater to Muslims pilgrimage, digital solutions for navigation and waste management facilities.
Presently, Malaysia’s major exports to Saudi Arabia are palm oil & palm oil-based products, electrical & electronics, processed food, machinery and equipment & parts. With more engagements with the Saudi authorities moving forward, MATRADE hopes for these export segments to expand to non-traditional sectors highlighted during the seminar.
According to Puan Sharimahton Mat Saleh, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE, Saudi Arabia is undergoing major transformation in its effort to realise Saudi Vision 2030. In the vision, Saudi Arabia will roll out various initiatives to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism. This only means there are ample opportunities for Malaysian companies to explore, beyond the traditional sectors.
“It is timely for Malaysian companies to look to Saudi Arabia particularly Madinah for opportunities.Malaysia is no stranger to the Saudi Arabia and local companies must leverage on the trust both nations have for each other. This good relationship is a strong foundation for Malaysian companies to establish business relationship with the Saudi counterparts,†Sharimahton shared.
However, before exploring the market, Malaysian companies are advised to fully equip themselves with the market knowledge and strategies to do business in Saudi Arabia. “Every market is different and requires various adjustments and enhancements and this is why it is important for them to engage with MATRADE. MATRADE has various connections with industry players and authorities in Saudi Arabia such as SAGIA. We can facilitate their linkages in the market through our office in Jeddah so they have the necessary intel for their businesses,†Sharimahton shared.
Currently, there are over 25 Malaysian companies involved in various businesses in Saudi Arabia namely in construction-related services, hotel management services, restaurant and catering services, charter services for Umrah & Hajj, power generation as well as civil engineering services.
Among the Malaysian companies that have ventured in the market are Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Malakoff Corporation Berhad, Dialog Group Berhad, Felda Global Ventures, Prasarana Integrated Management & Engineering Services Sdn Bhd, MMC Corporation Berhad and KNM Group Berhad. Others include Progressive Impact Corporation Berhad, TH Travel & Services Sdn. Bhd, AJM Planning and Urban Design Group, MTD Group, CMC Engineering Sdn Bhd and Maybank Investment Bank Berhad.
“Malaysian companies are encouraged to collaborate with each other so they can access Saudi Arabia as a consortium. They will be stronger together that way,†Sharimahton advised.
In 2018, Malaysia’s total trade with Saudi Arabia was recorded at RM21.67 billion as compared to RM14.92 billion in 2017, registering a growth of 45.2 per cent. Malaysia’s exports to Saudi Arabia were valued at RM3.77 billion while imports were recorded at RM17.90 billion in the same year. For the first three months of 2019, Malaysia’s trade with Saudi Arabia further expanded by 64.1 per cent to RM6.19 billion. Malaysia’s exports to Saudi Arabia in the same period increased by 6.6 per cent. Last year, Saudi Arabia was the 18th largest trading partner for Malaysia.
Mihas 2019 Concluded With Multiple Achievements Recorded
MONDAY, 8 APRIL 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2019 concluded on 6 April 2019 at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) with over RM1.6 billion of export value recorded, an increase of 5.7 per cent, indicating the event’s prominence as Malaysia’s and the world’s top halal trade fair. The figure included both the exhibition and International Sourcing Programme (INSP) sales.
Organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), MIHAS 2019 has congregated over 1,000 exhibitors from 44 countries and attracted trade visitors from 80 countries. In total, MIHAS 2019 has also recorded 29,946 visitors compared to 21,539 visitors in 2018.
According to MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Wan Latiff Wan Musa, MIHAS has proven to be the platform of choice for local and foreign halal businesses alike. “MIHAS was incepted in 2004 with the idea to grow the local halal industry by capitalising on the power of international trade. After 16 years organising it, it is considered a springboard for Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to start exporting and for experienced exporters to strengthen their footprints abroad,†he said.
Complementing the achievements were 150 presentations of fora, conferences and seminars held in conjunction with MIHAS. In addition, there were 43 brand presentation sessions and 60 products launches at MIHAS 2019. MIHAS 2019 also made a history with the visit of Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Al- Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. It was the first time for the event to be graced by Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. MIHAS 2019 was also visited by Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
Among the key highlights of MIHAS 2019 were the INSP and MIHAS Awards. The INSP this year saw over 2,211 business meetings arranged for 610 local companies with 200 foreign buyers from 43 nations. Meanwhile, the MIHAS Awards has recognised 12 companies from both Malaysia and abroad for their creativity and innovation culture in the halal industry.
The various activities planned out for MIHAS were aimed to enrich all the experience of the participants and visitors. This is to ensure they will gain a stronger understanding on the business potential of halal within the supply chain of various industries, not limited to just Food & Beverages.
“As a market leader, it is important for Malaysia to play a greater role in promoting the understanding in halal beyond the conventional notion. That is why MIHAS featured clusters such as Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Travel, Modest Fashion, eCommerce, Islamic Financing and Logistics,†Dato’ Wan Latiff said about MIHAS which was also one of the events for Global Halal Summit organised by Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) Malaysia.
A new segment for MIHAS 2019 was the Modest Fashion cluster that provided a platform for local and the region’s modest fashion players to highlight the industry areas of opportunities. The Modest Fashion segment was a product of a collaboration between Bumiputera Designers Association and MATRADE.
MATRADE is currently gearing up for its 17th MIHAS in 2020 to take into account world’s key events such as the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and APEC 2020. MIHAS 2020 is slated sometime in the end of Q1 of 2020. For more details on MIHAS go to www.mihas.com.my
MIHAS 2019 Opens Its Doors and Welcomes Visitors to Their Biggest Edition Yet
THURSDAY, 4 APRIL 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: The world’s largest halal trade fair, Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2019, organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), returns for its 16th edition gathering the biggest congregation of halal businesses to date. With over 1,000 booths displayed, MIHAS 2019 brings together buyers and sellers from over 44 countries to Kuala Lumpur.
MIHAS 2019 plays an even bigger role for the growth of halal industry globally by highlighting emerging halal sectors apart from Food & Beverages, such as Islamic Finance, Pharmaceutical, Logistics, Cosmetics, Travel, Modest Fashion and eCommerce. According to MATRADE’s Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Halim Mohammad, this strategic approach will strengthen the awareness on the halal’s potential and its values to the economy to the world community.
“Malaysia boasts a comprehensive ecosystem for the Halal industry development. This includes Halal certification systems, standards and regulations, infrastructures, incentives, human capital and Islamic banking that is supported by effective frameworks from Governmental institutions. This leads to a holistic Halal ecosystem and provides a great opportunity for us to market our local halal brands globally,†he said.
Meanwhile, MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Wan Latiff Wan Musa mentioned, in responding to the growing acceptance for Halal products and services, MATRADE uses MIHAS as a means to include Malaysian companies into the global supply chain and for the world’s businesses to collaborate with each other. “In enhancing the competitiveness of Malaysian companies in international trade MATRADE will execute its initiatives to improve the companies export readiness, strength in market orientation and industry engagement. MIHAS is a perfect platform for us to address these,†Dato’ Wan Latiff said.
MIHAS 2019 is part of the Global Halal Summit (GHAS) launched today by YB Datuk Seri Dr. Mujahid bin Yusof, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. The launch of GHAS marked
the opening of MIHAS 2019 and was attended by Dato’ Lokman Hakim Ali, Secretary General of Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI), Datuk Haji Mohamad Nordin bin Ibrahim, Director General of JAKIM, Tan Sri Dr. Halim Mohammad, Chairman of MATRADE, Datuk Dr. Afifi Al-Akiti representing the Palace of Perak and Mr. Hairol Ariffein Sahari, Vice President of the Halal Industry Development Corporation.
Since its inception in 2004, MIHAS has become an event for local and foreign businesses to thrive in the Halal trade and to contribute significantly to the global Halal economy. This year, MIHAS 2019 will take place from 3-6 April 2019 at MITEC and it will feature an exhibition of halal products and services from over 44 countries, global business matching programmes (International Sourcing Programme, Hosted Buyer Programme and MIHAS Connect), conferences, seminars, product launches and many more.
Halal Brands Celebrated at Mihas Awards 2019
FRIDAY, 5 APRIL 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), the organiser of Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), celebrates creative and innovative culture among halal businesses at MIHAS 2019 through the coveted MIHAS Awards 2019.
The MIHAS Awards pays homage to local and foreign exhibitors at MIHAS 2019 for their creative booth designs and innovative products & services. The award’s categories are Best Malaysian Booth Design; Best International Booth Design; Best Country Pavilion, Most Innovative F&B Product, Most Innovative Non-Food Product, Best Innovative Services and a newly introduced award called Best MIHAS Promotion via Social Media.
All participants of MIHAS 2019 are eligible for the Design and Booth Presentation and Best MIHAS Promotion via Social Media categories. While for Most Innovative Product, Non-Food Product and Services Category, the selection were made based on companies’ submission.
For the innovation category, the winners were evaluated based on their innovative solutions, product quality, design & presentation and impact to the user. In this category, a total of 50 entries have been received, with 25 coming from the Food & Beverages sector and 25 from the Non-Food & Services sector. Apart from the local entries, entries from foreign exhibitors were also received such as from Thailand, Indonesia, USA, India, UAE, Palestine, Kuwait and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the newly introduced Best MIHAS Promotion via Social Media Award is aimed at encouraging companies to utilise social media platforms creatively in promoting their products and brand as well as participation at MIHAS.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges from MATRADE, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Malaysia Design Council (MRM), Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), National Innovation Agency Malaysia, Department of Standards Malaysia, Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC), University of Malaya (UM) and Primeworks Studio. The selection of the winners was made based on the overall product features including its originality, innovative elements, appearance and its Halal qualities.
Held for the eighth time since 2012, MIHAS Awards was introduced as a form of appreciation for MIHAS’ participants for adopting innovation in their Halal products and services.
“In a challenging business environment today, companies are required to be more innovative, and one of the most effective ways to push this culture forward is by encouraging R&D, utilising knowledge and technology to solve challenges and improving the quality of products and services,†MATRADE’s Chairman, Tan Sri Dr. Halim Mohammad said.
“Realising the importance of innovation and creativity, MIHAS Awards recognises the achievement of local and foreign exhibitors that showcase the highest level of innovation and quality that positively impact the consumers. We hope that the awards will add value to MIHAS and will receive greater participation next year,†he added.
For more details on the event, visit www.mihas.com.my.
Malaysian Companies in The Halal Industry Meet With Global Buyers at Menara MATRADE
TUESDAY, 2 APRIL 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) continues to facilitate Malaysian companies inclusion in the global supply chain through one of its high-impact global business matching efforts called International Sourcing Programme (INSP). This time around, the INSP by the trade promotion organisation is targeting local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the halal industry.
Organised in conjunction with the 16th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2019, the one-day INSP is taking place at Menara MATRADE. The event will match more than 500 local companies with 200 foreign buyers from 43 countries. This is the 15th INSP organised for MATRADE’s iconic trade fair, MIHAS.
The INSP is MIHAS’ key event organised a day before the exhibition starts. The global business matching helps local SMEs introduce their halal products or services to high-potential buyers scouted through MATRADE’s 46 global trade offices extensive buyers database. According to MATRADE’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Mr. Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz the business matching provides an opportunity for local companies to meet with high-potential foreign buyers at their own home country, saving them the travelling cost.
The sectors highlighted at the event are beyond Food & Beverages, which is tantamount in halal, and include emerging halal sectors such as Islamic Finance, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetics, Muslim-friendly Tourism, Digital and e-Commerce as well as Logistics.
The local companies at the INSP come from various Malaysian states such as Selangor (45.7%), Kuala Lumpur (12%), Johor (8.5%), Penang (6.1%) and Perak (4.7%). Among the countries involved in the event are China, India, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Ukraine, Jordan and Singapore, just to name a few. In total, MATRADE will be coordinating around 1,928 business meetings between the local and foreign companies.
“The INSP is a very effective platform for Malaysian companies especially the SMEs to meet with global buyers from all over the world. Since the inception of MIHAS, we have successfully turned this annual gathering of local sellers and foreign buyers to become an important meeting point for them to expand their business horizon in the global arena,†Mohd Mustafa said.
Last year, the INSP generated RM310.46 million of sales with Food & Beverages sector having contributed the largest sales. The top export destinations resulted from the INSP in 2018 were China (RM310.46 million or 51.5% share of total sales), India (RM75.61 million or 12.6% share), Poland (RM71.34 million or 11.8% share), Thailand (RM21.70 million or 3.6% share) and the United States (RM20.13 million or 3.3% share).
MIHAS, which was incepted in 2004 with the vision of making Malaysia a global Halal marketplace, has earned a reputation as the world’s largest Halal trade fair. Organised by MATRADE, it is hosted by Ministry of International Trade and Industry. MIHAS is one of the key events under one-week long Global Halal Summit (GHaS) (1 – 6 April 2019), spearheaded by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM). For more details on MIHAS, please visit www.mihas.com.my.
