The Brunei Halal Showcase (BruHAS) is back for its third and biggest edition at Bridex with over 100 local and international exhibitors promoting halal and Islamic themed products and services.
The five-day expo – which sees an increase of 20 vendors this year – will run until Friday, showcasing a wide range of businesses including those in food and beverage, fashion, health and beauty, education and finance.
The fourth International Seminar on Halalan Thayyiban Products and Services (SAPPHAT IV) organized by Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) featuring 46 presenters will run until tomorrow, with a halal clinic providing advisory on halal regulations and certifications set up on Friday.
MEMI Minister YB Dato Seri Setia Dr. Hj Mat Suny (L) viewing wild honey from Madu Manggaris.
Director of Industry and Business Eco-system (IBE) Ministry of Energy, Manpower and Industry (MEMI) Hjh Mahayon Hj Mohd Taha said BruHAS was organized to raise awareness of the regional business ecosystem for the Islamic economy and provide market access for businesses within it by opening the event to the public and distributors.
She added that BruHAS also brings together academics and business leaders to deliberate how the Halal industry can be grown regionally with Brunei as a central galal hub, in line with this year’s theme of Leading the Halal Economy in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
MEMI Minister YB Dato Seri Setia Dr. Hj Mat Suny Hj Mohd Hussein said the sultanate continues to rank among the top 15 Islamic economies in the world according to the latest edition of Thomson Reuters’ Global Islamic Economy Report.
“In line with His Majesty’s Titah, we hope to foster greater connections with international partners, starting with the BIMP EAGA,” he said in his opening speech. “At the same time, we are encouraging micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to collaborate with larger companies, and even those from overseas, to gain support and access into local and regional distribution networks.”
Meanwhile, participating businesses said the event’s affordability – $100 for cottage businesses and $300 for those with an office or storefront – was a strong pull. Others said they were looking forward to the business matching hosted by Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) as an opportunity to generate sales beyond the event, with potential buyers including Supa Save, Ben Foods, One Station, Aewon, Sim Kim Huat and Seri Nova Food Industries.
Volco Venture Company‘s Lanun Hotsauce, made from ghost chilies grown in the owner’s backyard, is hoping to break into supermarkets, having recently entered discussions with Pertama.
“We were able to sell out certain varieties of our hot sauce on the first day (of BruHAS),” said Mohd Vol Hj Momin. “We are able to get positive feedback from customers through our testers and hopefully we can secure some supply to local supermarkets as well through the business matching.”
