DUBAI: The Malaysia International Halal Showcase (Mihas) will make its debut at the Dubai World Trade Centre tomorrow (Monday, Nov 18), featuring 20 premium buyers and enabling over 200 Malaysian businesses to enter the international market.
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) chairman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said that under the International Sourcing Programme, business-matching sessions will take place with premium buyers who trust Mihas for its credibility and prestige in sourcing quality products.
The three-day Mihas@Dubai offers a pathway for Malaysian businesses across 10 sectors, including food and beverage, fashion, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, to expand beyond the domestic market.
"Mihas began in 2004, and its success, including recognition by the Guinness World Records and the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has made it ideal for us to expand beyond Kuala Lumpur.
"The role of the premium buyers is to provide a platform that helps Malaysian companies enter markets they have struggled with, and Mihas serves as a springboard to elevate them.
"These 20 premium buyers have a combined sales turnover of RM28 billion. If even one per cent of that can be generated through these companies, it would result in RM280 million.
"Mihas is a programme within a programme, allowing us to leverage the expo's large crowd as well," he added during a press conference with Malaysian media today.
He said Dubai was chosen due to its strategic location in the Middle East and North Africa, which has a large Muslim population, making it a promising new market for halal products.
Tomorrow, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the chairman of the Halal Industry Development Council, will officially launch Mihas@Dubai.
He is currently on his first official seven-day visit to the United Arab Emirates.