Growing number of Hong Kong businesses eye Kuala Lumpur trade fair

More Chinese retailers, especially those from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, are showing interest in halal products for both the local market and to cater to the growing number of Muslim tourists, a senior Malaysian diplomat said.

Malaysian Trade Consul in Hong Kong Intan Zalani said representatives from 15 Hong Kong-based companies will travel to Kuala Lumpur this week to attend the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) from September 17 to 20.

Most of the 15 Hong Kong buyers are from the food and beverage industry, and they will be seeking halal suppliers during the business matching session at MIHAS, one of the world's largest halal trade exhibitions.

Halal, which means "permissible" in Arabic, refers to any product or service that is aligned with Islamic laws. Halal food products, for example, do not contain alcohol or pork, while Islamic finance considers riba (usury) as haram (forbidden).

Muslim-majority Malaysia is a key player in the global halal trade. The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Malaysia's trade promotion agency, has been hosting MIHAS since 2004.

The number of Hong Kong buyers at MIHAS has increased from 12 in 2024, up from 10 in previous years.

Intan attributed the steady increase in the number of Hong Kong buyers in the past few years to the fact that MIHAS offers a diverse range of halal products and suppliers for buyers.

"Based on the feedback that we got when we engage with these companies, they said that it's because MIHAS provides them with a varied range of halal products and services," Intan told China Daily.

"Malaysia is also known to be a halal hub, championing the halal industry and also exporting quite a number of halal products," she said.

She said that Hong Kong buyers' growing interest in offering halal products is also due to a rise in the number of Muslim tourists visiting the region.

"You see a lot of tourists from Muslim-majority countries also coming to Hong Kong, and these tourists play a part in driving the Hong Kong economy. So, of course, there's a very big opportunity for halal retailers here, despite the fact that Muslims are a minority here," she said.

There are an estimated 300,000 Muslims in Hong Kong, accounting for about 4 percent of the region's 7.5 million population.

Intan said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's promotion of Muslim-friendly tourism has boosted the number of halal restaurants and halal products in supermarkets.

In recent months, the Hong Kong government has been actively courting Muslim tourists to visit the city.

In his 2024 Policy Address delivered last October, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu proposed measures to attract visitors from the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

This included creating a friendly environment for Muslim tourists, including compiling a list of restaurants offering halal food and encouraging more commercial venues to provide facilities, such as prayer rooms.

Lee stated at an August briefing that many hotels, convention venues, and restaurants have been securing halal accreditation and that the number of visitors to Hong Kong from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries increased by 65 percent year-on-year.

According to the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) in 2025, Hong Kong ranks third among Muslim-friendly destinations in non-Muslim-majority countries.

The latest GMTI report noted the Hong Kong government's moves to make Hong Kong more welcoming and accessible to Muslim travelers.

Since June 2024, over 60 establishments have earned Muslim-friendly accreditation from CrescentRating, while more than 180 restaurants have achieved halal certification from the Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong.

Intan, the Malaysian trade consul, noted that with Malaysia serving as this year's rotating chair of ASEAN, MIHAS will also host dedicated pavilions for member countries of ASEAN and the GCC.

Themed "Pinnacle of Halal Excellence", MIHAS 2025 is expected to attract over 45,000 trade visitors and will feature exhibitors and buyers from 80 countries.