DAFZA signs cooperative agreement with Malaysia's Halal Industry Development Corp.

UAE - January 24, 2016- The Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Malaysia’s Halal Industry Development Corp. (HDC). The strategic partnership was inked at DAFZA’s headquarters, with Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General of DAFZA, and Dato’ Seri Jamil Bidin, Chief Executive Officer of HDC, as signatories.

Under the terms of the MoU, DAZFA will collaborate with HDC on developing halal compliance infrastructure in Dubai to achieve mutually beneficial business objectives, direct and assist in halal development process among all stake holders, support investments between the UAE and Malaysia, and facilitate the participation and growth of companies involved in the halal trade through a hub-to-hub network. A Joint Working Committee will be formed to ensure a sharp focus on objectives and the effective execution of knowledge-sharing and trade partnerships.

Dr. Al Zarooni commented: “Halal Industry Development Corp. is a first-of-its-kind governmental agency that has had great success in coordinating the overall development of Malaysia’s halal trade. DAFZA will help the agency with its goals of further improving halal standards, branding and promoting Malaysia’s halal offerings, and commercially developing halal products and services. At the same time, we will be able to showcase our Freezone’s exceptional ability to facilitate halal-related business and investment activities for the world’s leading halal markets.”

Dr. Al Zarooni, added: “This is a mutually beneficial partnership that will help raise halal benchmarks for both parties involved as well as for the respective countries. It is also a testament for Dubai’s growing appeal as a hub for Asian products, especially those under the halal category, and as a preferred gateway to the Gulf and MENA markets. DAFZA is fully committed to supporting Dubai in these aspects and to further enhancing halal trade within the Freezone.”

Jamil Bidin added: “When it comes to the global market for Halal products, the most important thing is to make sure that the supply chain is properly managed. For Asian producers, specifically those in Malaysia, market access is vital; this poses a challenge for Malaysian companies who wish to penetrate the GCC and yet lack the knowledge on how to get in. Through the collaboration between DAFZA and HDC, we hope to ease the entry of Malaysian and other Asian companies into the GCC and broader MENA region.”

“We recognize DAFZA’s key role in contribution to Dubai’s strategy as a base for products coming from Asia to the MENA markets, given its world-class facilities and infrastructure and warehousing solutions, extensive portfolio of incentives and services, plus its strategic location at the heart of Dubai right next to the Dubai International Airport which provides easy access and connectivity and also contributes to time and cost efficiency. For all these reasons, we believe that this agreement is crucial to facilitating smoother and more productive trade between Asia and Middle East,” concluded Jamil Bidin.

HDC is an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry. It is the world’s first government-backed halal industry development corporation to strategize and implement a comprehensive development of the halal industry.