Islamic economy and finance have experienced rapid growth in recent years, in line with the increasing Muslim population and awareness of halal products. According to data from the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life, the global Muslim population is estimated to reach 2.2 billion people, or 26.5% of the world's total population by 2030. The growth of the global Muslim population will inevitably lead to increased demand for halal products and services. Furthermore, according to The Global Islamic Economy Indicator 2022, within the global Islamic economy scope, Indonesia ranks fourth, following Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Minister Airlangga explained that the increasing demand for halal food presents opportunities for the national food and beverage industry. Meanwhile, the development of the Muslim fashion trend should be leveraged by the national textile and textile product industry through a variety of product innovations and functional textile optimization. The same applies to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, where the optimization of Indonesia's unique biodiversity can add value. Indonesia, with the world's largest Muslim population of 236 million people, or 12% of the global Muslim population, has significant demand for halal products, which can simultaneously drive the growth of the halal industry. The development of the halal industry policy should encompass three main components: firstly, the improvement of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with sharia financing. Second, the establishment of the National Halal Fund to support the halal industry and sharia products. And third, there must be specific areas built for halal-based industries and to facilitate investments. The government has also been promoting the implementation of halal industry development in Indonesia through the development of an integrated Halal Value Chain with Halal Traceability and Halal Assurance Systems. Minister Airlangga stated that opportunities for the halal industry in special regions could also be driven through the development of special areas in one location to accommodate all halal industries or the development of halal industrial clusters in existing special regions. Currently, three Halal Industrial Zones have been established in Banten, East Java, and the Riau Islands, which can serve as the initial foundation to make Indonesia a global halal hub and enhance sharia-based industries in Indonesia.
