Saudi shores up cooperation in halal certification with Indonesia, Singapore
Saudi Arabia has inked cooperation agreements with halal certification bodies as the kingdom look to facilitate cross-border halal products trade and beef up expertise in key areas.
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) and the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore on the mutual recognition of halal certificates and to discuss cooperation opportunities in halal product quality assurance.
The preliminary agreements aims to develop procedures for conformity assessment, standard specifications, and technical regulations for issuing halal certificates. It will also ensure mutual recognition for exported local products, and knowledge exchange in areas of training, research, and laboratory analysis for halal products, Saudi Press Agency reported.
"With the signed mutual recognition agreement (MRA), we can acknowledge halal certificate(s) issued by each country. It will boost trade (export) especially for certain halal goods during the Hajj season needed by Saudi citizens as well as ours who perform Hajj and Umrah there," Muhammad Aqil Irham, head of Indonesia’s BPJPH tells Salaam Gateway.
“Aside from Saudi, we have also signed agreements with Malaysia, Iran, Turkey and soon will sign with the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Korea and China"
SFDA CEO Hisham bin Saad Aljadhey added that the authority works on implementing a unified system for bodies issuing halal certificates worldwide.
The latest pacts are the latest in a string of agreements signed by the authority.
Cooperation agreements with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Moroccan Standards Institute (IMANOR) of the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Green and Digital Economy on mutual recognition of halal certificates, were also inked.
“Indicators suggest that the global Islamic economy is experiencing promising opportunities and that [its] volume is growing significantly," Aljadhey stated.
The Saudi Halal Center, which represents SFDA, is one of the initiatives of the National Transformation Program.
