KUALA LUMPUR — The 22nd Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) has brought together around 450 buyers from 58 economies, underscoring the event’s role as a major global platform for the halal industry.

 

The four-day international halal trade fair opened on Tuesday and is expected to attract around 50,000 visitors from across the world.

 

The event features 2,000 booths showcasing products from 1,700 companies, spanning food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, supplements and vaccines, as well as skincare, beauty, hygiene products and modest fashion.

 

Held under the theme “Shaping Trust, Driving Resilience”, MIHAS 2026 responds to growing demand for trusted, transparent and efficient trade ecosystems amid global supply chain disruptions, market fragmentation and cost pressures.

 

On Wednesday, international media representatives had the opportunity to speak with Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) Chairman Reezal Merican.

 

Merican said Malaysia’s economic relations with the Arab world had continued to develop steadily, but political instability in the Middle East, particularly the war in Gaza and the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, had affected economic exchanges between Malaysia and West Asia.

 

“Jordanian companies and businessmen have been an integral part of MIHAS. However, this year, that number dropped due to the conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria,” Merican said, adding that travel had also been affected by flight restrictions linked to regional tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

 

“Maybe the resources have been quite limited because of many ongoing disruptions,” he said.

 

“Because of that, participation from Jordan, and not only Jordan, seems a lot lower than in previous years,” Merican added.

 

He said countries including Palestine, Kuwait and Bahrain had also been affected.

 

“We hope that new progress will take place in West Asia and that we will witness more participation from Jordan,” Merican said.

 

AI integration expands MIHAS digital capabilities

 

A key new feature of the 22nd edition of MIHAS is the integration of artificial intelligence into the halal industry and the event’s business-matching ecosystem.

 

AI is being used to help businesses identify relevant opportunities, connect with suitable partners and engage more effectively across the global halal ecosystem.

 

The platform combines business matching, multilingual support, exhibition navigation, meeting management and post-event engagement, providing participants with a more connected experience before, during and after the event.

 

“We are implementing a few languages in this year’s MIHAS: English, Mandarin, Arabic, Russian, French, Spanish, Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia,” said IT expert Zach Othman, co-founder and owner of Lekir Tech.

 

Othman said the AI integration marked a new chapter for MIHAS, with a regulated-by-design AI framework aimed at improving how businesses connect and convert opportunities into trade outcomes.

 

The development aligns with MATRADE’s digitalisation efforts, following the launch of the MADANI Digital Trade Platform (MDTP) in March 2025.

 

“For buyers, AI-powered registration and profiling interrogate sourcing needs and Requests for Proposals (RFPs), delivering curated exhibitor matches across all 14 halal clusters,” Othman said.

 

“For exhibitors, AI-enabled onboarding catalogues product data and generates predictive lead insights, enabling targeted business-to-business (B2B) matching,” he added.

 

For visitors, AI supports crowd management through heatmaps, multilingual translation and personalised knowledge concierge services, helping provide easier access to conferences, forums and exhibitions, Othman said.