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7 Nov, 2017

Thailand Halal Assembly 2017 to focus on the Power of Halal Wisdom

Bangkok – For the fourth time, the Thailand Halal Assembly 2017, to be held in Bangkok between 30 November – 3 December 2017, will converge the themes of Science, Technology, and Islamic Arts under a powerful unified concept of Halal Wisdom.

This year’s Assembly, the fourth in a series of annual events, is expected to be attended by an estimated 1,500 delegates from 40 countries, making it the biggest ever. The expansion has also led to the Halal Assembly being moved from the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, where it was held in 2016, to the the much bigger Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC).

The event is organised jointly by the, the Central Islamic Council of Thailand, the Halal Science Center of Chulalongkorn University and Halal Standards Institute of Thailand.

Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand, is expected to inaugurate the event, to be followed by a special lecture on the theme of Halal Wisdom: Convergence of Science, Technology, and Islamic Arts by Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and former ASEAN secretary-general.

According to Prof Dr Pakorn Priyakorn, the organising committee chairman, “This year’s event is very special for us because it is the first to be held under Thailand’s new 2017-21 Five Year National Economic and Social Development Plan, the New 20-year National Strategy and the first to be held in Thailand’s new era under the reign of His Majesty Rama X.

“As such, the organising committee felt that although the business component should remain the core focus of the Halal Assembly, the content deserved to be broadened to include science, technology and the arts under the umbrella theme of Halal Wisdom.”

The Halal Assembly is Thailand’s most important event for displaying the products and services being made in Thailand to cater to the rapidly growing Islamic market, both within Asia and worldwide. This year, it will include 250 exhibitors and 150 buyers from 30 countries.

Other sub-events include the 10th Halal Science Industry and Business International Conference (HASIB), Thailand International Halal Expo 2017 (TIHEX), the Halal Standard Convention, Halal SMEs and Startups symposium, Halal Nano Technology and Innovation in Modern Era, Role, and Responsibility of Muslim Scientist in Halal Industries.

A special seminar on “Thailand Halal Strategies for Muslim Friendly Tourism” will be organised on 3 December 2017.

One of the interesting topics is “Islamic Arts”, Art is under the Shade of Faith, The Islamic identity. This will provide an opportunity for the many Thai-Muslim artists, designers, and calligraphers to highlight the beauty of Islamic Arts and how they have been influenced by Thai and Malay culture.

The Royal Thai Government has given strong backing to the event because it fits in with several of the country’s national, regional, and international strategic objectives.

In Thailand, the Halal Assembly facilitates a better socio-economic integration of Thai-Muslims, creates jobs, and advances the cause of economic development, especially in the Southern Provinces. It also meets the goal of building culturally inclusive societies.

This also applies at the regional level as part of the ASEAN socio-cultural and economic integration blueprints. After the 2015 ASEAN Community plan takes effect, the roughly 650 million population of the 10 ASEAN countries will comprise 46% of Muslims. This is a huge market waiting to be tapped by the Thai-Muslim community.

At the international level, it also helps promote tourism and the objective of promoting Thailand as a Muslim-friendly destination. Thailand is projecting strong future growth in visitors from Muslim countries, especially from neighbouring Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, CLMV countries. In addition friends from China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, BRICS countries, and Bangladesh. Visitors from UAE, Qatar and Kuwait already comprise the highest-spending category of visitors to Thailand.

Sub-regional groupings such as the Indonesia-Malaysia –Thailand Growth Triangle also benefit from the integration process through increased transport and infrastructure development, trade in Halal-certified products and services, and the promotion of agriculture and sustainable development.

For further information and registration: www.thailandhalalassembly.com