Salalah – Oman is stepping up efforts to develop its halal tourism ecosystem as it seeks to attract a larger share of the growing global market for Muslim-friendly travel.

A three-day specialised workshop on Halal Tourism will begin in Salalah on Tuesday, bringing together government agencies, hotels, tourism companies, airlines, restaurants, food businesses and conformity assessment bodies.

The event is being organised by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) in cooperation with the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and Omran Group.

The programme will examine halal standards, certification procedures, tourism services and the requirements establishments must meet when preparing, storing and serving halal food and beverages.

It will also review the halal tourism market across Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries, opportunities for certifying restaurants and requirements covering accommodation, food, transport and tourism activities.

Officials said the initiative forms part of efforts to build a national halal system and strengthen Oman’s competitiveness in a sector benefiting from rising demand among Muslim travellers.

Emad bin Khamis Al Shukaili, Director General of Standards and Metrology at MoCIIP, said the workshop would help develop national expertise while drawing on international experience.

The aim, he said, is to support “high-quality and reliable tourism services” and strengthen Oman’s position in one of the promising segments of the Islamic economy.

Al Shukaili said halal goes beyond food to cover tourism, hospitality, logistics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and financial services, requiring an integrated system of standards, accreditation and conformity assessment.

Saeed bin Sultan Al Busaidi, Director of the Omani Accreditation Centre, said accreditation was central to building confidence in halal certification.

He said stronger accreditation would support recognition of Omani halal certificates regionally and internationally and improve access for national products and services to foreign markets.

The ministry is also preparing National Halal System Regulations to govern public and private entities operating across halal-related sectors.

The framework is intended to clarify requirements, improve quality and reliability, protect consumers and enhance the competitiveness of Omani products and services.

Authorities are also working to simplify procedures for importing and exporting halal products and services and enable conformity assessment bodies to register through the Oman Business platform.

The Salalah workshop will include practical applications and case studies aimed at helping tourism and hospitality operators understand how halal standards can be incorporated into their services.