KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 27): The Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2019, to be held from April 3 to 6 next year, is expected to attract the biggest number of exhibitors in the event's history.

Around 1,000 companies are expected to participate at the 16th edition of MIHAS, dubbed the world's largest halal trade fair, said Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) deputy chief executive officer Datuk Wan Latiff Wan Musa.

“MIHAS 2018 attracted over 778 exhibitors from 32 countries and 21,000 visitors globally. It proved to be successful by generating over RM1.52 billion in sales, an increase of 50.49 per cent compared with MIHAS 2017,” he told Bernama in an interview.

MATRADE will be organising MIHAS at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre again next year.

This time it would be a bigger networking event that allowed halal-certified and trade-ready companies, leading brands and distributors to build relationships for doing business in Southeast Asia, Wan Latiff said.

MIHAS 2019 would serve as a platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their halal brands and services to the global visitors, he noted.

Themed ‘Delivering the Halal Market’, the exhibition would showcase technologies related to the fourth industrial revolution (IR4.0), he said.

MIHAS 2019 will continue to feature International Sourcing Programme ? an effective business-matching initiative which was introduced in 2005 and has recorded over US$4.4 billion in cumulative trade for its participants.

Other programmes include seminars and conferences to be held concurrently such as Trade Talk and Halal Trade Finance Conference.

“MIHAS has proven to be successful platform for Malaysian companies, especially SMEs, to discover global opportunities and at the same time to learn about the global halal industry from other international participants,” he added.