South Korea has signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates on halal foods, hoping it will contribute to its goal of growing halal exports globally from US$680m to $1.23bn by 2017.

Park Geun-hye, South Korea's president, visited the UAE during March to outline the initiative under which, Korean halal food manufacturers will be able to receive certification for their products from the Gulf state more easily.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Park said there is huge potential for bilateral cooperation in the food industry, especially on halal food. "The two nations will be able to take the lead in the global food industry if they use a reliable halal certification system, develop mutual trust and create menu items favoured in both countries."

South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said the MOU between the two countries would mean the country's companies can "easily get halal certification" and ship their products to the UAE.

Following the agreement, South Korea has established the Halal Food Agency to analyse and develop certification standards for halal foods as well as outline production guidelines.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact