Muscat – Oman is seeking to strengthen its position in the growing global halal economy, with the country’s halal products and services sector expected to expand by more than 7% annually over the next five years, supported by rising domestic demand, increasing tourist arrivals from Islamic countries and export opportunities.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP), in cooperation with the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and Omran Group, launched a three-day specialised Halal Tourism workshop in Salalah on Tuesday.

The workshop was inaugurated under the patronage of H E Azzan bin Qasim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Tourism at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.

It forms part of efforts to strengthen Oman’s national halal system, develop technical capabilities and tap opportunities in the expanding global Islamic economy. The initiative also aims to diversify tourism products and align services with regional and international standards.

Emad bin Khamis Al Shukaili, Director General of Standards and Metrology at MoCIIP, said the halal sector has evolved into an integrated economic ecosystem spanning manufacturing, agriculture, financial services, healthcare, logistics, tourism and hospitality.

He said the global halal economy was valued at US$2.3tn in 2024 and is projected to exceed US$3.1tn by 2028, according to the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2024.

At the GCC level, the halal products and services market is estimated at more than US$300bn annually, with halal food, tourism and Islamic finance among its main growth drivers.

Al Shukaili said Oman was well positioned to benefit, particularly through growing domestic demand, higher visitor numbers from Islamic countries and opportunities to export halal products and services to regional and international markets.

He also highlighted Oman’s membership of SMIIC, which provides a technical framework for harmonising standards across Islamic countries. The membership allows Oman to align national practices with SMIIC standards and benefit from training programmes aimed at strengthening business readiness.

MoCIIP is responsible for issuing Omani standards, approving the Omani Halal Mark and providing measurement, calibration and conformity assessment services.

The workshop covers the halal tourism market in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member states, certification opportunities for restaurants and requirements for halal food under approved standards.

Sessions will also address halal certification, SMIIC standards, Oman’s national halal and standardisation systems, and the global quality infrastructure governing halal products and services.