Even though it is a predominantly Catholic country of approximately 113 million, of which Muslim households made up around 6.4%, the Philippine government has intensified its policy and institutional support for the global halal market since 2024.

Two major initiatives represent a shift from ambition to organized execution: the Philippine Halal Industry Development Strategic Plan 2024–2028 and the National Halal Industry and Development Office (NHIDO).

The policy framework
The strategic plan, unveiled in 2024, sets targets to double the number of halal-certified products and services from around 3,000 to 6,000, create 120,000 jobs, and attract P230 billion (roughly $4 billion) in investment across the four-year plan period to 2028. 
 

To ensure that halal development is treated as a cross-cutting economic project rather than a single ministry's brief, a nine-agency task force oversees it, with NHIDO serving as the implementation body.

The office serves as the central coordinating body for all halal development work across the country, simplifying certification for micro, small, and medium enterprises, building halal trade hubs across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, partnering with local government units on halal-compliant infrastructure, and managing a comprehensive halal industry database. Certification bottlenecks have historically been one of the biggest barriers for small Filipino producers entering the halal market. NHIDO's explicit mandate to tackle this is one of the more practically important elements of the agenda as a whole.

The scope of both initiatives deliberately extends beyond food. Halal-compliant tourism, Islamic finance, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and modest fashion are all named as part of the framework, though the degree of implementation varies across these sectors.

The broader framing is a deliberate policy choice: it repositions halal from a niche of religious compliance into an economy-wide growth sector, driven by international buyers who associate halal certification with safety, hygiene, and ethical production standards.

From strategy to street level
The Manila Halal Festival in March 2026 was a litmus test, illustrating how the policy is beginning to translate into ground-level commercial activity. Around 100 vendors, most specializing in food, snacks, sweets, and supplements, gathered in the capital for a three-day event co-organized by the city government, the Department of Tourism, and the DTI. The exhibitor list included producers of halal pastillas, the Philippines' first certified halal ice cream, beauty products, and food supplies, alongside certification bodies, government agencies, and international pavilions from Indonesia and Canada.

The festival made visible how halal certification is already functioning as a market entry credential for small Filipino producers. Vendors at the event reported gaining new customer segments in the Gulf specifically because of certification, families buying to bring products to Qatar or Saudi Arabia, and export orders to the UAE that began with a single overseas inquiry. The pattern was consistent across food categories: certification opens a door that was previously closed, and Gulf demand is pulling Filipino products through it.

These were small businesses, not export-ready multinationals. But that was precisely the point the 2024–2028 plan is built around: if certification infrastructure is accessible and internationally recognized, SMEs can compete in Gulf markets without the scale that currently makes it difficult. 

"The Philippine halal industry is now aggressively developing its place in a trillion-dollar global industry — building the full halal ecosystem from farm to plate," said Ismail Abaya, Founder and President of 1Halal Global Inc. and Executive Vice President of MASLAHA Halal Certification Board Inc.

The same sentiment was later echoed by Grace Aguilar, Founder and President of Halal Expo Philippines, in an interview with Salaam Gateway. "The Philippines is emerging as one of Southeast Asia's most promising halal markets, driven by strong government support, growing consumer awareness, and increasing interest from both local and international investors. With its strategic location, young population, and commitment to becoming a global halal hub, the country offers tremendous opportunities across food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and Islamic finance. Halal Expo Philippines was created to serve as the platform that connects businesses, fosters partnerships, and accelerates the growth of the halal ecosystem in the Philippines and beyond, " she said. 

The sectoral depth
Beyond food, the government is simultaneously building out the halal ecosystem in several directions. The Department of Tourism has accredited over 42 Muslim-friendly accommodation establishments, including major hotel groups and resorts. Infrastructure investments include the Marhaba Boracay Cove, an 800-square-meter beach area designed for Muslim travelers, with similar facilities planned for Bohol and Cebu. A QR-code-based Muslim-friendly travel log is in development to help visitors locate halal food, prayer spaces, and services.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority is creating dedicated halal economic zones, and the central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, is strengthening the Islamic banking sector to provide the financial infrastructure the wider halal industry requires. A collaboration with Turkey on halal-certified poultry production is also underway, to develop a regional hub that leverages Turkish expertise in animal-byproduct-free feed.

On the trade side, the Philippines has been promoting its halal sector at expos in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Canada, and has reported export deals from its international halal promotion campaigns. However, the exact figures have not been corroborated by a single primary source.

Officials are also pursuing mutual recognition arrangements with Muslim-majority countries to ease market access for Philippine products, a critical step given that international recognition of certification bodies is often the deciding factor in whether export opportunities open up.

The challenge is execution at scale
The policy framework is more coherent than anything the Philippines has attempted in this space before. The combination of a four-year plan, a dedicated coordinating office, MSME support infrastructure, tourism investment, and export promotion is a genuine strategy rather than a collection of disconnected announcements.

The Philippines still has a relatively small certified product base — 3,000 products is modest against regional competitors — and the certification system needs to expand and gain broader international recognition quickly enough to meet the 2028 targets. The domestic Muslim population provides a domestic market foundation, but the harder task is building export supply chains, securing recognition of standards, and developing production capacity to compete internationally.

There’s a particular relief in finding a snack you can eat without checking every ingredient. The growth of halal snack brands reflects that demand. This list focuses on some of the popular snack brands among Muslim consumers globally.

Mamee-Double Decker — Malaysia

Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Melaka, Mamee-Double Decker is among the most widely distributed dedicated halal snack brands in the world.The brand's snack portfolio includes Mister Potato chips, Corntoz corn snacks, and Double Decker biscuits.

Halal certification: JAKIM (Malaysia) — Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development.

Saffron Road (Chickpea snacks line) — United States

Founded in 2009 by Adnan Durrani and based in Connecticut, the brand positioned itself as a premium, ethical, world cuisine snack and frozen food company. The brand appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in 2015 and 2016.

Halal certification: IFANCA — the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America.

Al Rifai — Lebanon

Founded in Beirut in 1948 as a home-based roasted nut operation, the company has grown into what it describes as the largest snacking nut retailer in the Middle East, with around 40 percent market share in Lebanon. 

Halal certification: Products are composed of inherently permissible ingredients (nuts, dried fruits, plant-based snacks); no pork derivatives or alcohol in the core range. 

National Food Industries — UAE 

Founded in 1977 with a single packing machine in Dubai, National Food Industries has grown into one of the leading snack manufacturers in the Middle East. Its brand portfolio includes Mr Krisps, Emirates Pofaki, Mr Pofak, Doodles, Bakeman's, and Sinbad. According to the company's own website, NFI has expanded to over 35 countries. 

Halal certification: HACCP and Halal certified, as confirmed on the brand's own website and its Dubai Exports accreditation.

Ülker — Turkiye

Ülker is Turkiye's dominant biscuit, chocolate, and confectionery brand, founded in 1944 in Istanbul. According to its Wikipedia entry and its parent company Pladis's brand page, Ülker products are exported to 110 countries. 

Halal certification: All production adheres to halal food standards per Pladis/Ülker's own published statements; Turkiye's domestic food production is governed by standards consistent with halal requirements.

Munchy's — Malaysia

Munchy's has been producing biscuits, wafers, and crackers out of Malaysia since 1991. Its core range — butter cookies, cream-filled wafers, chocolate biscuits, and oat-based crackers — fills supermarket shelves across Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand, while export operations extend to the Middle East, the UK, and Australia.

Halal certification: JAKIM (Malaysia).

Hunter Foods — UAE 

Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone, Hunter Foods exports to over 60 countries. Its brand portfolio spans Hunter's Gourmet, Hunter, Safari, Aladin, and Ali Baba, covering hand-cooked potato chips, vegetable chips, quinoa chips, and organic superfoods. The Hunter's Gourmet premium range — known for its truffle and specialty flavours — is stocked in airline minibars, luxury hotel chains, and premium retailers across its export markets. 

Halal certification: Halal-certified since 2017, alongside HACCP and ISO 22000, as confirmed on the brand's website.

Chips Oman (Ali Shaihani Food Industries) — Oman 

Chips Oman traces its origins to 1989, when Al Jufair Food Industries emerged from the bifurcation of Ali Shaihani Food Industries. Its flagship product — chilli-flavoured potato chips — has become one of the most recognisable snacks across Oman and the wider Gulf, instantly identifiable by its red-and-blue packaging. Distribution spans the GCC, with diaspora reach into international markets through specialist retailers. 

Halal certification: Produced in Oman under GCC food safety regulations, which embed halal compliance as a baseline standard for domestic food manufacturing.
 

Al Rifai Arabia — Kuwait / Saudi Arabia

Not to be confused with Lebanon's Al Rifai, Al Rifai Arabia is a separate Gulf-based brand — originally Kuwaiti-operated — that has been producing roasted nuts, seeds, and dried fruits for the Gulf market for decades. It operates retail outlets across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, and its products are available through international shipping. 

Halal certification: Inherently halal product range (roasted nuts, seeds, dried fruits) produced under GCC food safety regulations.

Ziba Foods — United States

Ziba Foods occupies a specific and increasingly popular corner of the halal snack market: premium, clean-label dried fruit and nut snacks with an Afghan and Central Asian provenance. Founded by a partnership of American and Afghan entrepreneurs, the brand produces dried pomegranate arils, figs, nut mixes, and fruit-and-nut packs sourced from Afghan farms, with no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.

Halal certification: Vegan-certified; products are inherently permissible by ingredient composition but do not currently carry a published third-party halal certificate.

 

Methodology

To build a credible and reproducible list, this article uses a hierarchy of publicly verifiable signals.

• Countries of retail distribution (primary metric): The clearest available measure of a snack brand's global reach is the number of national markets in which its products physically appear. This is verifiable through brand websites, stockist pages, and distributor announcements, though it is worth noting that companies do not all use the same counting standards. A brand present in 100 countries through one large distributor is not the same as one embedded in 100 national retail networks. The metric is directional, not precise.
   
• Number of confirmed retail stockist locations (secondary metric): Where publicly confirmed figures are available — for instance, a brand documented as stocking in over 5,000 shops or 20,000 retail locations — this helps differentiate brands with similar geographic spread.
   
• Credibility and duration of halal certification (tertiary metric): Brands with documented third-party halal certification from recognised bodies rank above brands where certification is self-declared, implicit, or absent. The certification body for each brand is cited from its own public documentation. 
   

• A small number of entries on this list consist entirely of plant-based ingredients — nuts, dried fruits, seeds — that are inherently permissible under Islamic law regardless of whether a formal certificate has been issued. This is a recognised category in Islamic food jurisprudence and is distinct from vegan certification, which carries no Islamic legal weight on its own. Brands in this sub-category are included only where they are meaningfully embedded in Muslim food culture — through founder background, primary market, or cultural use — not simply because their ingredient list happens to be permissible. Each such entry notes the absence of third-party certification explicitly.

* Note: For this list, “snack brand” is used broadly to include packaged sweet and savoury snacks, crisps, biscuits, crackers, snack bars, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, popcorn, and confectionery. Brands whose relevant halal range is mainly frozen meals, cooking sauces, staples, or pantry ingredients are excluded unless they also have a distinct packaged snack line with meaningful retail distribution.

The US-Iran conflict has once again laid bare the vulnerability of global energy markets. Oil prices have touched historical highs in sustained rallies, touching highs of $120 per barrel as concerns regarding the situation grew. 

Major concerns swirl around the fate of the Strait of Hormuz; an important waterway for about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Any disruptions on this route in the past have historically caused huge oil price spikes, demonstrating how important Middle Eastern energy exports continue to be for the global economy. 

As governments throughout the Gulf and North Africa continue to grapple with what appears to be an evolving situation, one thing that the conflict has reinforced undoubtedly is the strategic consideration to reduce reliance on oil and gas for energy generation. Not only would that protect export revenues but also improve long-term energy security. 

Why renewables make economic sense

Solar energy generation makes a compelling economic case in the Middle East, home to some of the most abundant and consistent solar irradiation (over 2000 kw-h per m2 per year), according to the Middle East Solar Industry Association. 

Due to the success of large-scale renewable energy projects, electricity prices have reached all-time lows. The Al Dhafra photovoltaic solar project in Abu Dhabi, which became operational in 2023, was able to obtain a tariff of 1.35 cents per kilowatt-hour, making it one of the lowest prices for solar power recorded in history. Furthermore, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) suggests that 91% of new renewable energy projects commissioned in 2024 were most cost effective than fossil fuel alternatives.

The demand for electricity is on the rise, necessitating increased production from renewable sources. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts electricity demand in the Middle East to soar by about 50% by 2035 due to population growth, industrial development, and the increased need for air conditioning - which already accounts for around 25% of annual electricity usage and almost 50% of peak electricity usage.

At present, a large part of this demand is satisfied through local heavy fuel oil (HFO) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) use. By way of example, Saudi Arabia uses an average of about 1.1 million barrels per day for electricity generation and desalinated water production; however, this consumption can exceed 1.4 million barrels per day during the hottest summer months, which diverts a considerable amount of liquids away from export markets.

If small amounts of local oil and gas consumption deployed for energy production were to be replaced with solar and wind energy, it would result in greater quantities of hydrocarbons available for export, boost state coffers and reduce the region's exposure to volatile fuel prices.

Financing the transition
The growth of renewable energy capacity throughout the region is happening at a rapid pace: Saudi Arabia's National Renewable Energy Programme aims to generate 59GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, while the UAE is developing the 5GW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, and Egypt has joined the pack with its 1.6GW Benban Solar Park.

According to the Middle East Solar Industry Association's Solar Outlook Report, the total solar capacity of the Middle East and North Africa region will exceed 180GW by 2030. This expansion is increasingly relying upon Islamic capital markets for financing. Global ESG sukuk issuances surpassed $18.5 billion in 2025, increasing by over 60% over the previous 12-month period, according to Fitch Ratings. 

What still stands in the way

Electric grids throughout the Middle East were created based on large fossil-fuel power plants, and the rising use of solar and wind energy will require upgrades to existing electrical transmission networks, energy storage systems and electricity pricing and market rules.

While there is still a relatively low percentage of total electric generation using renewable energy in many Gulf countries, it is likely that fossil fuels will remain part of the Gulf region's energy mix for many more years; at least, until renewable sources replace them.

Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the current geopolitical crisis emphasizes how critical it is for countries to diversify their sources of energy supply. Countries that rely primarily on renewable sources are at lower risk of being impacted by sudden changes in energy prices given disruption of oil supply routes resulting from continuing tensions with Iran.

As Middle Eastern economies wean their infrastructure away from fossil fuels and towards renewables, energy will be used as an asset, not only to help the country deal with any geopolitical issues, but also to retain their position as important global suppliers of energy. 

The debut of Canadian-produced animated film Time Hoppers: The Silk Road in Saudi cities of Riyadh and Jeddah late last year reflected a growing global appetite for Muslim-centered storytelling.

Developed by Milo Productions Inc., an Alberta-based production house and the media company behind MuslimKids.TV, the film celebrates the Golden Age of Islam and spotlights figures such as Al-Khwarizmi, Ibn al-Haytham, Maryam al-Astrolabi, and Mansa Musa.

Curated in collaboration with US distributor Fathom Entertainment, Time Hoppers is part of a broader multimedia franchise that includes a game, a TV series, and a planned sequel.

It was released in over 200 theaters across the MENA region, and is set to hit more than than 500 screens in the US, the UK, and Canada - becoming the first Muslim animated film to receive a nationwide US release.

Salaam Gateway's Heba Hashem spoke with Michael Milo and Flordeliza Dayrit, the husband-and-wife duo and co-founders of Milo Productions, about their experience in bringing this project to life and what comes next.

What do you think has been key to Time Hoppers reaching this level of success?

Milo: On the commercial side, I think we're being considered a bit of a test case. The theatre industry understands that there is a very large, untapped audience of Muslim viewers out there, and they may look to the success of the Korean or Latin American animation industry and consider that Muslims are a quarter of the world’s population. Turkish cinema has done very well internationally. So why don't we see what's available and whether we can open new markets or revenue streams and get this audience into the theatres more.

I think that could be part of the reason. Of course, the quality of the movie is there, and the story is there. All of that is also very strong. 

How has the response been so far? What are people saying?

Dayrit: We were at the American International University. We had lunch with the administration executives after the viewing, and they were thanking me for representing the Muslim culture and history so well in the movie. They said, “This is what we've been waiting for”.

Another interesting moment and what so far was the biggest reward for me was seeing a little boy come up to us; he didn't know who we were, but he was so excited and talked about the movie. 

Michael asked him who his favourite character was in the movie. He showed us a poster he had of Time Hoppers and said, “All of them. I love all of them.” And then he started naming each character. For me, the reward of all of this is when you see children as young as four and five, able to relate to the superheroes of the movie. 

That’s exciting, and it must feel incredibly rewarding. So, what’s next on your agenda?

Dayrit: We really wanted to showcase the contributions of Muslims and Arab scholars throughout time; that’s something we want to continue doing.

In North America, the representation of Muslim and Arab children is very low. A study from few years ago revealed that just 1% of Muslim Arabs and Southeast Asians were represented in children's media, and for Arabs it was only one character, and that too a supporting one. 

In Alberta where we are based, the pioneers of that Canadian province are actually Muslim Arabs. They were entrepreneurs and were competing with Hudson's Bay Company as traders at that time. For them not to be represented in local media is unusual. In Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, the number of Muslims is quite large. And it’s a similar situation across Canada, the United States, and Australia.

What we're doing with Time Hoppers is a franchise. We have the game, the movie, and we're going to be releasing a TV series, which is almost complete. We also have a plan for a sequel. We would definitely like to see investors and people in the field join us on this journey – we welcome the opportunity to produce it with us.

What challenges did you encounter while producing Time Hoppers, especially considering that you were aiming for an international audience?

Milo: One of the challenges is that you're doing children's content. For example, in Turkey and Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, the industry is very well developed. But in the MENA region, kids’ content isn't as well developed, so it takes a lot of convincing for distributors to bet on the content and know it will resonate with audiences. 

Another challenge is that much of the children's industry is built around big-name brands, such as Barbie and Disney. These brands have the pockets to develop a massive franchise, whereas an independent like a David and Goliath type of story may be high risk, but also high reward if it does take off.

So, from our perspective, you're battling against that perception in the market that this isn't necessarily going to [take off], and that it's a lot more difficult to earn money off of an independent product or a newly released product. It's harder convincing people to get behind it. But then there are those people who believe that this is higher risk, but also higher reward.

When it comes to the subject matter, one approach in the animation industry is to make it as generic as possible because that's going to be able to sell a lot wider.

For us, we look at the successes of the Korean animation industry, they're unapologetic about their culture, and the Turkish successes as well. They don't try to make their culture generic; they represent who they are. We wanted to do that in the kids’ space.

Kids are open minded. They don't mind seeing things that are different and learning from them, and they like to see a reflection of themselves in the content they are watching. 

There’s clearly an appetite for something different. And the fact that you're creating a franchise around Time Hoppers is impressive. Is the game available already?

Dayrit: Yes, it's available via iOS, Android and Steam. We want children to get to know more about the characters, the superheroes, and to be one of them, but also get to learn about Muslim and Arab scholars and scientists.

The sky's the limit really when you consider what you can build with an Islamic values-driven media franchise, right?

Milo: Yes. There are over two billion Muslims around the world, yet it's an untapped market. If we want to capitalize on that potential, it does require investment to make an impact. That’s one of our aspirations.

A legal shift regarding the slaughter of animals on religious grounds is underway across Europe, one that could reshape the future of halal meat production. 

While EU law still contains a derogation for ritual slaughter, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in 2020 that member states may require reversible pre-stunning in the name of animal welfare. Then, in February 2024, the European Court of Human Rights upheld the Belgian regional bans and accepted animal welfare as part of “public morality” that can justify limits on religious manifestation. 

While those rulings did not impose a continent-wide ban, taken together, they have lowered the legal risk for countries that want one, shifting the debate from pure law to politics.

What the rulings actually changed

Belgium became the key test case. The regions of Flanders and Wallonia introduced rules requiring animals to be stunned before slaughter while allowing reversible stunning that does not kill the animal outright. Jewish and Muslim groups argued that the law interfered with their religious practices.

The European Court of Human Rights disagreed. Judges concluded that the Belgian authorities were entitled to prioritise animal welfare within the framework of European human rights law. Governments, the court said, have a margin of appreciation when balancing competing interests such as religious freedom and ethical concerns about animal suffering.

The decision established a powerful precedent, one that allowed European states not to ban ritual slaughter outright, but to require pre-stunning and present it as a welfare measure that still leaves room for religious accommodation.

That legal formula now sits in the background of national debates across the continent.

Will other European countries follow suit?

That has opened the door to other governments attempting similar measures, although the ground reality of it happening so far has been mixed.

The Netherlands illustrates how the debate could evolve. Ritual slaughter remains legal without stunning, yet a legislative proposal backed by the Party for the Animals seeks to require reversible stunning. The Dutch Council of State has already suggested that animal welfare may now carry greater weight when governments balance it against religious freedom.

Developments elsewhere suggest a slower pace. Brussels rejected a comparable ban. Britain debated the subject in parliament in 2025 and confirmed that religious exemptions would remain in place. Germany continues to grant exemptions under its Animal Welfare Act where slaughter without stunning is necessary for religious communities.

Europe, therefore, appears headed toward a patchwork rather than a unified policy. Countries with strong animal welfare movements and lower political costs may consider tighter rules, while others are likely to proceed with caution.

That uncertainty is reflected in how experts interpret the current legal moment. Awal Fuseini, senior halal manager at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, points out that the rulings have created space for action without setting a single direction of travel.

“EU Regulation 1099 allows member states to permit slaughter without stunning for religious reasons, and there is no EU-wide ban. Some stunning methods, such as head-only electrical stunning, are already accepted within parts of the Muslim community. The concern is that once countries realise they have the legal space to restrict non-stun slaughter, it could lead to a wider domino effect across Europe.”

Britain’s contrasting approach

The British debate perhaps highlights a different policy route in which governments may tighten oversight or improve transparency without moving directly to a ban. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (the RSPCA), 88% of halal slaughter in the UK is stunned. Furthermore, according to an analysis by the Halal Food Information Centre, non-stun slaughter (halal and kosher) accounts for 2.9% of animals in the UK, well below the 7% Muslim and Jewish population. This makes an important case of whether imposing the ban is about animal welfare or more about optics.

It wasn't a surprise when, in June 2025, British members of parliament revisited the question of non-stun slaughter, deciding against removing religious exemptions. Ministers emphasised existing slaughterhouse regulation, trained operators, and veterinary supervision. Several MPs expressed interest in clearer labelling rather than prohibition.

The argument for tighter bans

The European Court of Human Rights emphasised that democratic societies attach increasing importance to animal welfare. European institutions have also begun reviewing broader animal welfare legislation, indicating that the regulatory framework is still evolving.

Advocates of reform also argue that religious freedom has limits. Liberal democracies place boundaries around religious practices when public interests are involved. In their view, slaughter practices fall within that category.

The argument against bans

Opponents of bans accept the need to protect animal welfare. Their concern lies with proportionality and consistency.

Critics argue that ritual slaughter has become a highly visible target while other welfare issues attract less scrutiny. Industrial slaughter errors and transport stress raise serious welfare questions, yet they rarely dominate political debate in the same way.

European Commission coordinator Katharina von Schnurbein warned several years ago that ritual slaughter debates can push Jewish and Muslim communities into defensive positions. 

Industry voices raise practical concerns as well. Rizvan Khalid, managing director of Euro Quality Lambs Ltd, describes the current approach as “a sledgehammer-to-crack-a-nut approach rather than a more nuanced approach to assess welfare against religious rights.”

He argues that stunning is not a panacea, adding that “mis-stuns, which are very painful, routinely occur.” Blanket bans may also drive demand toward imported meat produced outside the EU, potentially under weaker welfare conditions.

Khalid also points to a gap in policy thinking. Electric head-only stunning is accepted by some halal authorities, while gas or captive-bolt stunning remains controversial. Greater investment in identifying compatible methods could improve welfare without excluding religious practices.

A debate far from settled

Context matters, and the conflict, while often framed as a technical dispute about slaughter methods, points to a deeper question of how far European communities are willing to accommodate religious difference when it conflicts with secular ethical norms. 

A gradual shift toward stricter regulation appears likely in some countries. Others may favour incremental reforms such as improved labelling, tighter oversight, or research into reversible stunning.

More than slaughterhouse policy, the outcome will influence how European states reconcile animal welfare with religious freedom in increasingly diverse societies.

The UAE Central Bank’s initiative to build a sovereign cloud platform for the country’s financial institutions goes beyond data residency, according to experts. 

The AI-powered sovereign financial cloud service infrastructure, which will function on an isolated yet centralized architecture, is designed to ensure the continuous availability of critical financial services for the local financial sector. 

“Sovereign financial clouds are designed to protect the financial system itself, not just the data inside it,” Matt Kaluzny, a cloud & data architect tells Salaam Gateway.

“The objective of sovereign financial clouds is to combine the scale and maturity of global cloud platforms with national control over sensitive financial infrastructure.”

Operated by Core42, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi technology group G42, the platform will ensure data sovereignty and integrity, isolating it from global outages, cyber threats and geopolitical disruptions.  Embedded real-time analytics and AI monitoring will add an additional layer, driving intelligent automation, deeper operational insights and better decision making. 

A sovereign cloud is a cloud computing service curated to store and process data in compliance with local laws and security standards.

“Sovereign cloud is a cloud ecosystem that ensures complete control over data, infrastructure, and operations, free from external jurisdictional influence, and aligned with local regulatory, technical, and operational requirements,” Manish Ranjan, research director for software & cloud at International Data Corporation tells Salaam Gateway. 

Western hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Oracle and Microsoft have substantial presence on ground, operating assets across the UAE. AWS launched its Middle East (UAE) region in 2022, which includes three availability zones housing one or more data centres; Oracle and Microsoft both run multiple cloud regions, including data centres in the country. 

The key difference between the two configurations lies in its jurisdictional control and focus. For instance, AWS cloud is sovereign-by-design, offering controls that permit customers to meet their sovereignty requirements, but a sovereign cloud is a purpose-built, isolated environment, operating under state’s oversight and control. 

“Global providers such as AWS already support UAE rules on data location, privacy, and assurance and are widely used by banks. By embedding security guardrails, automated policy checks, and reporting, [the sovereign financial cloud] minimises compliance overhead and accelerates deployment. Banks still retain architectural and operational control of their applications and data, but they benefit from a more standardized, regulator aligned environment,” says Ranjan. 

Centralizing governance, localizing control
Lijo Joseph, IT project manager at Pru Life UK says that what makes this significant is the idea of introducing regulatory oversight directly into financial infrastructure. 

“Today, many financial institutions operate with different cloud environments, different security controls, different compliance interpretations. Instead of every bank solving compliance independently, governance becomes part of the platform itself,” explains Joseph. 

Core42’s broader sovereign cloud strategy is publicly centred around a multi-year partnership with Microsoft, but whether the sovereign financial cloud will leverage the hyperscale capabilities of the alliance remains unclear. 

“Core42 has a long-standing partnership with Microsoft and already operates large-scale AI and cloud platforms using Azure technology. It is therefore likely that elements of this partnership will support parts of the sovereign financial cloud infrastructure. However, in sovereign cloud models, the key question is not only which hyperscaler technology is used, but who governs the environment and controls the critical security layers,” adds Kaluzny. 

“While the cloud may leverage global hyperscaler technologies, operational control remains local. This means that critical elements such as security tooling, access policies, and encryption key management are administered within the UAE under national regulatory oversight. The sovereign operator controls how the infrastructure is configured, monitored, and governed, while hyperscaler platforms provide the underlying technology stack.” 

What is clear in no uncertain terms is that it will rev up innovation and ingenious solutions through the platform.

The sovereign financial cloud platform will potentially drive innovation more than a general purpose cloud, says Ranjan, with a sector specific sovereign platform creating a shared digital foundation across banks, allowing them to experiment, co-develop, and scale solutions. 

“However, it is critical to ensure this platform supports modern cloud native tooling and open standards,” he adds, “so it doesn’t slow down the pace of innovation that the financial sector now expects.”

As Ramadan 2026 draws to a close, the Middle East is confronting a stark reality. While the region’s ongoing conflicts are estimated to cost a staggering $1 billion a day, humanitarian organizations are grappling with shrinking budgets and record-breaking displacement. 

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 19 million people are currently internally displaced across the Middle East. 

Amid these overlapping and incessant crises, Zakat has transformed from a religious obligation into a sophisticated, multi-million-dollar engine of survival.

“Zakat provides a structured system of support that can quickly reach those most affected,” Annabel Turner, communications officer at IOM tells Salaam Gateway.

“Across the region, these funds are helping sustain refugees, widows, and families struggling to survive.”

Faith-based giving meets humanitarian response

This Ramadan, humanitarian organizations are expanding efforts to channel Zakat into emergency relief programs across multiple conflict zones.

IOM recently launched the second edition of its annual Share the Blessings campaign through its Islamic Philanthropy Fund (IPF).

The initiative builds on last year’s pilot project focused on Sudan, expanding its reach this year across multiple humanitarian emergencies, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Gaza Strip, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

“This year’s campaign combines faith-aligned giving, broader reach, and a transparent digital platform to make Zakat a tool for immediate relief and longer-term resilience,” says Turner. 

Since launching in 2025, the IPF has secured more than $20 million in pledges and commitments, which will enable it to support over 30,000 people affected by humanitarian crises, according to Turner.

For Islamic Relief Canada, a major focus of this year’s Zakat program is emergency support for Gaza, where funds will help provide food assistance, clean water, medical services, and cash support to families affected by the ongoing crisis.

“The program aims to support over 600,000 people, including children, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities,” Houda Kerkadi, media and press relations specialist at Islamic Relief Canada tells Salaam Gateway.

In 2025, Islamic Relief Canada raised 33.87 million Canadian dollars in Zakat funds, an increase from 31.25 million Canadian dollars in 2024 and 22.06 million Canadian dollars in 2023, reflecting continued growth in Zakat giving. Combined with other charitable contributions such as Sadaqah, the funds enabled the NGO to support more than 4.4 million people worldwide in 2025.

At the same time, local organizations are scaling up their own Zakat initiatives. Amman-based NGO Tkiyet Um Ali directed its 2026 Ramadan Zakat funds to vulnerable families in both Jordan and Gaza, where it delivered food parcels and rehabilitated shelter facilities for 6,000 displaced people.

Elsewhere, Egypt’s Tahya Misr Fund recently partnered with the House of Zakat to send 780 tonnes of food and essential supplies to the Gaza Strip, providing crucial support to displaced families during the holy month.

Rebuilding healthcare infrastructure

While many organizations focus on immediate relief, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) is using Zakat to solve a different crisis: the collapse of healthcare. After more than a decade of conflict, Syria’s healthcare system remains severely damaged, with many hospitals destroyed or left without the resources needed to function.

Dr. Abdulfatah Elshaar, SAMS Foundation chairman, says the financial burden of healthcare often pushes already vulnerable families into complete financial collapse.

"Access to free healthcare removes one of the largest financial burdens vulnerable families face," Dr. Elshaar tells Salaam Gateway. "It means parents do not have to choose between paying for treatment and providing food or shelter for their children."

To sustain these lifelines, SAMS is investing heavily in rebuilding healthcare infrastructure, including $12 million for the Idlib Specialty Hospital and $6 million for the Idlib Maternity & Children’s Hospital.

“This Ramadan, our focus is sustaining life-saving medical services while continuing to contribute to rebuilding healthcare systems for communities that have endured years of conflict and displacement,” says Dr. Elshaar. 

Today, SAMS supports more than 65 healthcare facilities across Syria, offering services ranging from maternity care and cancer treatment to mental health support. In 2025 alone, the organization delivered more than three million medical services to over one million patients.

The impact of these services is reflected in individual stories like that of Fatima, a displaced mother from rural Aleppo who recently delivered her baby safely at a SAMS-supported maternity hospital after months without access to medical care.

"Stories like Fatima’s reflect the vital role these facilities play in protecting the lives of mothers and children," says Dr. Elshaar. 

The widening gap between need and funding

Despite the growing scale of Zakat-funded initiatives, the humanitarian needs across the region continue to outpace available resources. 

Across the region, wars, economic collapse, and climate shocks are pushing new populations into poverty each year. In places like Gaza and Sudan, repeated displacement has stripped many families of their homes and livelihoods.

“The biggest challenge is the scale of need,” Karim Amer, UNRWA's director of partnerships tells Salaam Gateway. “The gap between what Zakat can do and the level of funding needed to meet the growing humanitarian needs remains enormous.”

Long-term recovery poses another hurdle.

“Critical gaps remain in underfunded and protracted crises, as well as longer-term recovery and livelihoods support,” says Turner.

While Zakat is highly effective in delivering immediate relief, rebuilding entire communities requires sustained investment over many years.

Organizations like SAMS are increasingly pairing emergency support with longer-term development initiatives. Through its Syria Health 2030 campaign, the group is investing in major projects designed to restore the country’s healthcare capacity. 

Similarly, Islamic Relief Canada is expanding programs that combine emergency aid with longer-term recovery.  

“While much Zakat funding understandably supports immediate humanitarian needs, expanding its use in areas such as livelihoods, education, and economic empowerment can help create more sustainable pathways out of poverty,” explains Kerkadi. 

“Strengthening the connection between short-term assistance and longer-term resilience could help maximize the overall impact of Zakat.”

Zakat contributions are doing far more than fulfilling a religious obligation across conflict zones - this steady stream of funding is keep hospitals accessible, preventing families from being evicted, and delivering a fragile sense of stability to a people who perhaps have very little left to lose.