Over the past two years, plant-based food consumption has grown by 49% across the EU, reaching a total sales volume of €3.6 billion.
Mainland companies invited to join Brunei's Halal project
2025-05-15
Brunei has invited mainland Chinese investors and businesses to join a $300 million halal-themed industrial park in the Southeast Asian nation, taking advantage of the mainland's large Muslim market.
"We hope to attract Chinese companies producing halal food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and functional foods to enter the bio-innovation industrial park," said Gary Ho, chairman of SQW China Ltd.
“After being produced or processed to meet the strict product quality requirements for halal food in Brunei, all products will be labeled with a Brunei Halal certification and exported to the global Muslim market,” he said.
SQW China, an economic and management consulting firm based in the UK, was tasked with developing the master plan and managing the company's short-term operations.
Approximately 64% of Brunei's population is Muslim, and the country has a strong reputation among the Islamic community for its high halal standards and strict guidelines for pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic production. Ho noted that Muslims currently account for approximately 25% of the world's population, creating a huge potential market.
“The Middle East is highly dependent on halal food imports. They are relatively wealthy and are willing to pay more to get high-standard halal food. This will provide a high premium for our business,” he said.
The Halal-themed industrial park, the first phase of which has already been completed, is part of Brunei's broader economic diversification strategy – the Bio-Innovation Corridor (BIC) initiative – created to boost the country's economic diversification and export trade. "Located in the heart of Southeast Asia, Brunei is an ideal location for developing export and logistics activities. Close cooperation will help mainland businesses 'go global' through Brunei and expand overseas Muslim markets, including Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, which is also in line with mainland China's strategic initiative of the Maritime Silk Road," said Ho.
The Maritime Silk Road project, officially called the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, is a strategic plan first proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013 to increase investment and promote collaboration across the historic Silk Road, encompassing member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), North and South Asia, Africa, and Europe.
"If European products are imported to mainland China through Brunei, for example, by a packaging company in Brunei and then shipped from Brunei's ports, the cost will be much lower than if they are imported directly from the country of origin because there is no customs tax."
The BIC aims to create 28,000 jobs across the three-phase Halal Industrial Park, with approximately 9,500 of these jobs related to food processing. "We anticipate Hong Kong's trade cooperation strategy will play a significant role, not only in attracting food manufacturers but also in providing more management talent, port matching support, and financial services," Ho added.