EXPOHALAL SPAIN 2015 will see the gathering of the major players of the global Halal industry in Madrid.
Currently, more than four hundred Spanish companies are Halal certified. The majority of them belong to the food industry, with products as diverse as soups, frozen potato omelettes, non-alcoholic sparkling juices and candies. The meat industry is the most consolidated in the Spanish Halal sector.
During the official presentation of EXPOHALAL SPAIN 2015, Anwar El Mezwaghi, CEO of Ambar Connect (the exhibition organizer), was accompanied by the General Director of Trade of the Community of Madrid (Government of Madrid), Mr. Luis Ángel Martín Martín, the General Director of the public consortium to improve Spain’s relations with the Arabic world (Casa Árabe), Mr. Eduardo López Busquets, and the President of the Spanish Islam Authority (Junta Islámica) and the CEO of Instituto Halal (Spanish Halal Institute), Mrs. Isabel Romero.
From left to right: Mrs. Carolina de Funes (Director of Ambar Connect), Mr. Luis Ángel Martín Martín (General Director of Trade of the Community of Madrid – Government of Madrid), Mr. Anwar El Mezwaghi (CEO of Ambar Connect), Mrs. Isabel Romero (CEO of the Spanish Halal Institute) and Mrs. Maria Salvador (Project Manager of ExpoHalal Spain)
“Spain has great cultural, social and economic potential. It also has excellent diplomatic relations with Arab countries, who choose Spain as a destination for the development of economic activities” explained Anwar El Mezwaghi.
The CEO of Ambar Connect further stressed that Spain, as a country has great potential that has not yet been fully exploited.
“The goal of EXPOHALAL SPAIN is to increase the Halal markets’ awareness on the opportunities offered in Spain,” he added.
The General Director of Trade of the Community of Madrid, Luis Ángel Martín Martín, thanked the initiative and stressed that “our [Spain’s] region, infrastructure, trade, cultural and leisure activities, in addition to its accommodation and restoration, has established Madrid Community as an important centre for business tourism, and one of the principal European exhibition destinations”.
EXPOHALAL SPAIN 2015 will turn Madrid into the European epicentre of the Halal industry during its scheduled two days i.e. October 21 and 22. The exhibition will gather professionals from the Spanish and international Halal industries. The appointment, the first Halal fair of Spain and one of the few in Europe, will cover food, tourism and cosmetics among other lifestyle sectors.
The exhibitors, mostly from the Spanish and Mediterranean areas, will have access to foreign delegations and buyers from the MENA region. They will also have access to the European countries with prominent Muslim communities such as France, United Kingdom and Belgium.
There will be special attention given towards showcasing the Mediterranean products to the Malaysian and Indonesian consumers.
“The fair will also highlight Spanish tourism. As a receiver country and given the quality of its services, the Spanish sector can access this visitor profile” said Carolina de Funes, Director of Ambar Connect.
In recent years, the Halal sector has shown a growing interest to attend to the needs of Muslim visitors, through specialized agencies, hotels and restaurants with Halal menus. Luxury firms and Spanish fashion establishments actively seek personal shoppers specialized in Islamic fashion.
“Spain can be a key agent in the international Halal markets. We have a unique opportunity to position ourselves as a meeting point of the Halal industry,” said project manager Maria Salvador.
Maria further elaborated that the fair will be accompanied by a conference program which will feature the latest discussions/information sharing relating to the Halal sector.
“2015 is the Spanish Halal year, with the celebration last March of the I International Halal Congress of Spain, in Córdoba, and the upcoming exhibition at the end of October in Madrid”, she added.
The term Halal refers to the practices, services and products that are permissible to Muslims. Although traditionally associated with food, Halal is now applied to many a variety of sectors, such as tourism and Islamic Banking & Finance.
For more information please contact:
Vanessa Bó Peiró
Tel. + 34 91 745 74 02
