Dubai – The Brazilian state of Paraná plans on boosting Muslim-friendly tourism after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), Cdial Halal certifier and the city of Foz do Iguaçu. The document intends to encourage the training of tourist establishments of the city in halal services in order to turn it into an attractive spot for Arabs and one of the first cities in Brazil to have services for this niche.
The MoU was signed by Cdial Halal CEO Ali Saifi, Foz do Iguaçu mayor Chico Brasileiro (PSD) and ABCC president Osmar Chohfi in a ceremony that was attended by Paraná state governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior (PSD). The signing ceremony took place in the Crowne Plaza Festival City hotel in Dubai last Tuesday (12) night. It was also attended by Invest Paraná director-president Eduardo Bekin and businesspeople from the state of Paraná.
Foz do Iguaçu has one of Brazil’s largest Arab communities and is a major tourist destination. With the agreement, the city and the state intend to attract more and more foreign tourists to Paraná.
Cdial Halal certifier has the mission of offering Muslim consumers around the world certified products and services that respect the traditions of Islam. The halal certification encompasses food, medicine, cosmetics, tourism, clothing, and other markets. The certification is recognized by more than 150 countries and the Muslim market reaches almost USD 3 trillion a year.
The state of Paraná is Brazil’s largest halal poultry and beef exporter. For the Arab world only, Paraná-based companies exported year-to-date USD 618,1 million. Now, according to meat lobby group Sindiavipar, there are 31 halal-certified poultry slaughterhouses.
Ali Saifi says that, based on the talks with the ABCC and Paraná’s history in the food industry, the goal is developing partnerships in other economic activities. Out of the products certified, the industry that sees the largest revenue is food and beverage, accounting for 58% of the global revenue. Clothing, chocolates, baked goods, and frozen meals are gaining ground, too.
The halal certification attest to the quality of the production, reliability, traceability and compliance with the requirements across the entire chain. It encompasses from raw materials to the cleaning process, traceability, and storage and transportation, in the case of goods.
It can be applied to any category of the company, including food services (hotels and restaurants), transport, garment industry, chemicals and biochemicals, packages, long-life products, and others.
With the certification, Paraná-based companies will be able to start exploring new markets to export to different Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and others. Furthermore, to obtain the approval it’s necessary to adapt manufacturing processes to international quality standards, which translates into competitive edges.
Although the concentration is higher in the Middle East, there are almost 1.8 billion of Muslims across the world consuming halal-certified products.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
