Panel discussions were organized as part of the AZHAB Forum.
Panel discussions were also organized within the framework of Azerbaijan Halal Business and Tourism Forum (AZHAB Forum).
On the first day of the event, a panel discussion titled “The Role of SMEs in Shaping the Global Halal Industry” was held and key speakers included Yusif Khalavi, Secretary-General of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCD), Zehra Zumrut Seljuk, Director-General of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), Muxtor Shonazarov, First Deputy Director of Uzbekistan's Entrepreneurship Development Agency, Marat Kabayev, President of the International Assembly of Islamic Business, Irshad Kader, CEO of Australia’s “Globothink”; Orhan Mammadov, Chairman of KOBİA; Fernanda Baltazar, Director of Institutional Relations at the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, and Emin Dostiari, Chairman of the Association of Food and Beverage Manufacturers of Azerbaijan shared their insights on the development prospects of the growing SME sector in the region and opportunities in the halal industry for SMEs.
A panel discussion on "Sustainability in the Halal Industry: Is Green the New Halal?" provided fresh perspectives on ecology and climate change, emphasizing the concept of "halal green." It was noted that communities can support environmental initiatives by aligning them with halal standards, promote sustainable development, and improve their positions in the global market. During the discussions organized for this panel, speakers included Nur Sani Hanga, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs of Nigeria, Agil Shirinov, Rector of the Azerbaijan Theology Institute, Asad Sajjid, Executive Director of Pakistan's Halal Development Council, Mujahid Yusuf, former Minister of Religious Affairs of Malaysia; Elnur Aliyev, Advisor to the chairman of KOBİA; Mohammad Minhaj Khokhar, Director of the Silicon Valley Climate Change Institute, and Anar Yusifzade, KOBİA's Department Head, who presented their insights and answered questions from participants.
In the panel titled “The Halal Tourism Potential of the Region,” speakers included Vusala Jafarova, Director of the Turkish World Research Center, Yasin Zulfikaroghlu, Specialist at the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), Valid Jahangir, Executive Director of the British Islamic Trade Association, Mufti Naim Shahid, Director of Pakistan's International Islamic Halal, Culture, Social and Spiritual Sciences Institute; Mahammad Muradov, Department Head at the Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency; and Kemal Seyranich, Department Head at the Halal Quality Certification and Analysis Department of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On the second day of the forum, a panel titled “Halal Standardization: Issues and Challenges” featured Professor Syed Ghulam Musharraf from the International Center for Chemistry and Biological Sciences at Karachi University, Ihsan Ovut, Secretary-General of SMIIC; Ilham Bayramov, Director of the Azerbaijan Institute of Standardization, Zafer Soylu, Chairman of Turkey’s Halal Accreditation Agency; Omar Isbaitan, Director of the ICT Department at the Palestinian Standards Institute; and Irvandi Yasvir, Professor at the International Institute of Halal Research and Training in Malaysia shared their insights on halal standards, the challenges in this field, the importance of halal certification, as well as existing difficulties and opportunities.
In the panel dedicated to “Challenges in Developing the Halal Ecosystem in the CIS Region,” discussions were held on the development of the halal ecosystem and market opportunities in the region by the esteemed audience that included as Madina Kalimullina, Secretary-General of the Islamic Finance Expert Association of Russia, Azar Bayramov, Director of the Labor Center of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Mufti Yusuf Abdul Razzag, Executive Director of Pakistan’s SANHA Halal Association; Farrukh Raza, Executive Director of Islamic Finance Advisory and Assurance Services in the UK; and Ruslan Atakishiyev, Chairman of the Public Union for Economic Resource Studies.
A panel on "Islamic Finance and Investment: Ethical Banking and Financial Opportunities in the Region" featured speakers such as Fatma Chinar, Deputy Secretary-General of the Union of Turkish Participatory Banks; Madina Kalimullina; Jala Hajiyeva, Executive Director of the Azerbaijan Microfinance Association; Anar Yusifzade, and Marat Khafizov, Representative of “Uniblock” ICT Corporation and they discussed the impacts of Islamic banking on society and the economy, as well as regional financial opportunities and addressed questions set by the participants.
During the forum, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation was signed between the Association of Food and Beverage Manufacturers of Azerbaijan (AQİSA) and the British Islamic Trade Association. Additionally, certificates were awarded to volunteers for their support in organizing the AZHAB Forum.
Note: The AZHAB Forum was organized by the Ministry of Economy, the State Tourism Agency, and the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA), with support from Caspian Event Organisers LLC, the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the International Islamic Business Association, the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICO), the Statistical, Economic, Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), and the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC). The two-day forum included both a conference and an exhibition, showcasing products and services from around 30 companies in sectors such as food, textiles, services, ICT, and education from Azerbaijan and abroad. Totally, officials, experts, representatives from academic circles, international organizations, and business people from about 20 countries participated in the forum.
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