Press Release – Signing of Agreement between Warees Halal Limited and JTB Pte Ltd

Singapore, 3 December 2019 – Warees Halal Limited (WHL) and JTB Pte Ltd (JTB) signed an agreement covering areas in Halal certification and promotion. Represented by Mr Sallim Abdul Kadir, Chairman of WHL, Ms Dewi Hartaty Suratty, Chief Executive Officer of WHL, Mr Toru Ikuta, President and Chief Executive Officer of JTB Asia Pacific, and Mr Naoyoshi Tashiro, General Manager of JTB, both organisations signed the agreement on 29 November 2019.

WHL is a government-linked company within the Muis Group. Muis, also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, is a statutory board in charge of Muslim affairs in Singapore. The formation of Warees Halal originated in 2006 with the intent to support Muis in its implementation of the Singapore Muis Halal Standards. WHL provides international certification, capacity building and trade-link services.

JTB Group was founded in 1912 as Japan Tourist Bureau with the objective of contributing to the Japanese economy by attracting foreign visitors to Japan. JTB was formerly owned by the Japanese government and is now a privately-owned organisation with its main shareholders – Japan Travel Bureau Foundation, East Japan Railway Co, JTB Contract Hotel Association, Central Japan Railway Co and West Railway Co. JTB is one of the biggest travel agencies in the world, with offices in 40 countries and its headquarters in Shinagawa, Tokyo. JTB handles all functions of the travel business and specialises in tourism.

WHL is collaborating with JTB to help companies tap on the growing Halal food and travel market in Japan and provide wider options for Muslims. The scope of collaboration covers the promotion and provision of Halal certification and related services in Japan based on the Singapore Muis Halal Standards and Quality Management System. The agreement aims to:

1. Facilitate growth and development of the Halal food and travel industry in Japan;
2. Create opportunities for Singapore and Japanese companies to export Halal products to one another and beyond;
3. Provide wider food and travel options for inbound Muslim tourists to Japan.

Mr Sallim said, “The signing of this Agreement is a milestone event for both Japanese and Singapore organisations with regards to the Halal industry. Warees Halal views Japan as one of the promising markets experiencing a boom in inbound tourism from Asia and the Middle East, in particular Muslim visitors. With our multi-cultural background in Singapore, our experience and expertise place us as an ideal partner to work with JTB in Japan.”

Global Halal food and travel industry
‘Halal’ spans across multiple industries such as food and travel. Based on the expenditure of 1.8 billion Muslims or 24% of the world population, the Halal market is estimated to be worth US$2.2 trillion in 2018 (Footnote 1). This is expected to grow to US$3.2 trillion by 2024, driven by factors such as increasing Muslim population, rise of Muslim middle class and globalisation.

The global expenditure on food and beverages is estimated at $8 trillion (Footnote 2). Of these 17% ($1.37 trillion) are made by Muslims in 2018, growing at 5.1% from 2017. Spend is forecast to grow by 6.3% annually to reach $2.0 trillion by 2024. Top 5 exporting countries to OIC include Brazil, Australia and India. Major Halal food consumer markets include Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt.

The Muslim travel market segment is expected to grow from 140 million international Muslim visitors in 2018 to more than 230 million by 2026, thereby injecting $300 billion into the global economy (Footnote 3). Factors that spur this growth are the increasing availability of Muslim-friendly travel services and offerings such as Halal food and prayer spaces.

Underscoring the significance of the WHL-JTB collaboration, Mr Ikuta said, “Japan is famous for its world-renowned hospitality, and our duty as a travel agency, and as representatives of Japan, is to ensure the best hospitality for tourists to Japan. Omotenashi, or the brand of hospitality that Japan is known for, has always been at the heart of Japan’s tourism industry.

One of best ways to ensure a visitor to a foreign country is made to feel welcome is by ensuring his stomach is always full. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to provide a variety of choices, as well as assurance that the food and drinks they are consuming have been certified as Halal.”

The road ahead for the Halal industry
“In Japan, there is an increasing awareness of the word “Halal”, but it does not mean that we understand exactly what it is. We believe the collaboration between Warees Halal and JTB could push forward this movement and JETRO would like to further learn and spread this understanding of “Halal” together,” said Mr Dai Ito, Director of Business Development, JETRO Singapore.

“Millennial consumers are always seeking new experiences and they are not afraid to try out new cuisines. Businesses have to become fast moving, consumer-driven and technology savvy companies to meet these needs. Our company, Jumain Sataysfaction, manufactures satay which is barbequed meat pieces on stick (equivalent to yakitori in Japanese cuisine) and satay sauce which is the dipping sauce for the satay. We did a product promotion in Japan in 2019 where our products were sold in a food truck and we received very good response. We see potential to introduce our products in Japan and we are confident that our products will appeal to the Japanese and Muslim travellers,” said Mdm Samsiah Suliman, Managing Director, Jumain Sataysfaction Pte Ltd.

With the collaboration between both WHL and JTB, both organisations will work together closely to achieve the goal of nurturing the Halal industry.

About Warees Halal Limited
Warees Halal Limited (WHL) is a government-linked company within the Muis Group. Muis, also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, is a statutory board in charge of Muslim affairs in Singapore. The formation of Warees Halal originated in 2006 with the intent to support Muis in its implementation of the Singapore Muis Halal Standards and to bring benefits to the Singapore Muslim Community.

WHL aims to be a holistic Halal solutions provider for businesses by providing international certification, capacity building, advisory and trade-link services. WHL is authorised by Muis to provide Halal certification services outside Singapore based on the Singapore Muis Halal Standards and the Singapore Muis Halal Quality Management System. WHL’s international clients range from product manufacturers, kitchen operators and food service establishments such as Cofco (China), TFK Corp (Japan), Crown (Korea) and Fuji Oil (Belgium).

For more information, please visit www.wareeshalal.sg.

Footnote 1: DinarStandard (2019). State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2019/20

Footnote 2: DinarStandard (2019). State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2019/20

Footnote 3: Mastercard-CrescentRating (2019). Global Muslim Travel Index 2019

About JTB Pte Ltd
JTB Group was founded in 1912 as Japan Tourist Bureau with the objective of contributing to the Japanese economy by attracting foreign visitors to Japan. JTB was formerly owned by the Japanese government and is now a privately-owned organisation with its main shareholders – Japan Travel Bureau Foundation, East Japan Railway Co, JTB Contract Hotel Association, Central Japan Railway Co and West Railway Co. JTB is one of the biggest travel agencies in the world, with offices in 40 countries and its headquarters in Shinagawa, Tokyo. JTB handles all functions of the travel business and specializes in tourism.

JTB employees foster cultural exchanges with deep understanding and affection of the cultures in the regions. JTB are no mere land operators but vital hubs that strengthen the global network amongst international businesses and travellers. Currently, JTB is diversifying its capabilities to provide and deliver more value-added services to its clients.

For more information, please visit www.jtbcorp.jp.

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