MIHAS 2026: “Shaping Trust, Driving Resilience”

What is MIHAS?

The Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) is one of the world’s leading business platforms dedicated to the global Halal economy.

First held in 2004, MIHAS has developed into a major international trade platform connecting Halal producers, exporters, buyers, investors, government agencies, industry organisations and service providers from Malaysia and around the world.

MIHAS is hosted by Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) and organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). MIHAS 2026 is managed by ES Exhibition Services Sdn. Bhd., which was appointed as the event management company for the 2026–2030 period.

The event extends well beyond food and beverages, covering the wider Halal economy including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, finance, technology, education, tourism, services and lifestyle sectors.

MIHAS 2026 at a Glance

Dates and Venue

MIHAS 2026 will take place from 23–26 September 2026 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur.

The exhibition schedule is:

• 23–25 September 2026: Trade Days
• 26 September 2026: Public Day
• Exhibition hours: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM

MIHAS 2026 marks the 22nd edition of the Malaysia International Halal Showcase.

Theme

The official theme for MIHAS 2026 is:

“Shaping Trust, Driving Resilience”
“Melakar Kepercayaan, Memacu Daya Tahan”

The theme reflects a shift in emphasis from exhibition scale alone towards trusted trade, governance, traceability, resilience and technology-enabled business development.

MIHAS 2026 places particular emphasis on building a Halal trade ecosystem in which product claims, standards, compliance and supply-chain integrity can be more effectively verified and sustained.

MIHAS 2026 Scale and Targets

MIHAS 2026 is targeting:

• More than RM4.3 billion in trade
• More than 1,700 exhibition booths
• More than 40,000 trade visitors
• Participation across 14 Halal industry clusters

MATRADE has separately stated an overall RM4.5 billion sales target for MIHAS 2026 in its July 2026 announcement relating to the International Sourcing Programme.

The event continues to position itself as the world’s largest Halal B2B trade show, bringing together businesses from across the Halal supply chain and international markets.

14 Halal Industry Clusters

MIHAS 2026 covers 14 major industry sectors, reflecting the increasingly diversified nature of the global Halal economy:

1. Food & Beverages
2. Food Technology & Packaging
3. Halal Ingredients
4. Pharmaceuticals & Medicals
5. Education
6. Modest Fashion & Lifestyle
7. E-Commerce
8. Retail & Franchise
9. Muslim-Friendly Hospitality & Tourism
10. Services & Enablers
11. Islamic Finance & Fintech
12. Media & Recreation
13. Cosmetics & Personal Care
14. Islamic Arts & Crafts

This makes MIHAS relevant not only to manufacturers and food businesses, but also to training providers, universities, technology companies, logistics providers, financial institutions, tourism operators, professional services firms and other organisations supporting the Halal ecosystem.

Key Programmes and Highlights

1. International Sourcing Programme (INSP MIHAS)

The International Sourcing Programme (INSP) remains one of MIHAS’ most commercially important components.

Organised by MATRADE, INSP facilitates pre-arranged B2B meetings between Malaysian exporters and international buyers.

For MIHAS 2026, the programme is targeting approximately:

• 600 Malaysian exporters
• 200+ international buyers
• Buyers from 40+ countries
• 4,000+ business meetings

MATRADE subsequently reported interest from more than 500 international buyers across 55 economies, with approximately 300 buyers targeted for participation, including 50 premium buyers.

The physical INSP programme will be held on 23 September 2026 at MITEC.

INSP MIHAS 2025 generated approximately RM3.63 billion in sales, while MATRADE is targeting approximately RM2 billion in export sales through the INSP component for 2026.

2. AI-Powered Business Matching and Trade Facilitation

One of the biggest developments for MIHAS 2026 is the expanded use of artificial intelligence throughout the trade journey.

AI is being incorporated into areas such as:

• Buyer registration and profiling
• Request-for-Proposal analysis
• Exhibitor matching
• Predictive lead identification
• B2B matchmaking
• Meeting scheduling
• CRM notifications
• Lead prioritisation
• Real-time engagement dashboards
• Multilingual visitor support
• Crowd-management insights
• Knowledge discovery

For exhibitors, the system is intended to help identify and prioritise higher-value prospects rather than relying solely on traditional booth traffic.

For buyers, sourcing requirements can be matched with exhibitors across MIHAS’ 14 industry clusters.

This digital infrastructure builds on MATRADE’s MADANI Digital Trade Platform (MDTP) and forms part of a broader transition towards data-driven international trade facilitation.

3. Hosted Buyer Programme

The Hosted Buyer Programme connects selected international buyers with participating exhibitors through organised business engagements.

For MIHAS 2026, the programme is being strengthened through AI-assisted profiling, matchmaking and meeting scheduling.

The objective is to improve the quality of buyer–seller engagements and increase the likelihood that exhibition interactions develop into measurable commercial opportunities.

4. AI Knowledge Hub

MIHAS 2026 also incorporates an enhanced Knowledge Hub, providing industry intelligence and discussions around issues affecting the global Halal economy.

Topics are expected to include areas such as:

• Halal standards and governance
• Traceability
• Digital compliance
• Artificial intelligence
• International market access
• Sustainability and ESG
• Emerging Halal technologies
• Global trade developments

The Knowledge Hub complements the commercial exhibition by positioning MIHAS as a platform for both business development and industry knowledge exchange.

5. WiEX @ MIHAS 2026

A major addition to MIHAS 2026 is Women in Export (WiEX) @ MIHAS, introduced to increase the participation of women-owned and women-led businesses in international trade.

Its theme is:

“Advancing Women in the Halal Economy”

WiEX @ MIHAS consists of four main components:

• WiEX Pavilion
• International Sourcing Programme business matching
• WiEX Forum @ MIHAS
• Anugerah Wira Ekonomi Wanita

The dedicated WiEX Pavilion includes 80 booths, of which 60 are allocated to Malaysian companies and the remainder to international exhibitors.

The programme is designed to provide women-led enterprises with greater exposure to international buyers, distributors, investors and export opportunities.

6. MIHAS Awards 2026

The MIHAS Awards 2026 recognise exhibitors demonstrating excellence within the global Halal economy.

For 2026, 15 awards across three flagship categories are being presented, recognising achievements including:

• Business growth
• Product and service excellence
• Innovation
• Sustainability
• Digital transformation

The awards form part of MIHAS’ broader focus on encouraging innovation, competitiveness and sustainable development among Halal businesses.

Strategic Direction of MIHAS 2026

Trust as a Competitive Advantage

MIHAS 2026 places greater emphasis on trust within Halal trade.

International buyers increasingly require assurance not only that a product carries a Halal claim, but that supporting systems relating to compliance, traceability, governance and supply-chain integrity are credible.

MIHAS therefore positions standards, verification and governance as commercial enablers rather than simply regulatory requirements.

Resilience in Global Supply Chains

The 2026 theme also reflects the challenging international trading environment.

Businesses are operating amid:

• Supply-chain disruption
• Geopolitical uncertainty
• Rising operating costs
• Market fragmentation
• Changing regulatory requirements
• Increasing ESG expectations

MIHAS aims to help businesses diversify markets, establish new international partnerships and build more resilient supply chains.

Technology-Enabled Halal Trade

Artificial intelligence is more central to MIHAS 2026 than in previous editions.

Rather than functioning only as an exhibition technology, AI is being positioned as part of the commercial infrastructure of the event—from buyer discovery and matchmaking to lead management and post-meeting conversion.

This reflects a broader shift toward a more data-driven global Halal ecosystem.

Malaysia’s Halal Economy

Malaysia remains one of the key international players in the Halal economy, supported by its standards infrastructure, government institutions, export development programmes and established Halal industry ecosystem.

Malaysia’s Halal exports reached RM68.52 billion in 2025, representing a 10.9% year-on-year increase and approximately 4.3% of Malaysia’s total exports.

Under Malaysia’s longer-term industrial agenda, the country is targeting:

• RM80 billion in Halal exports
• An increased contribution of the Halal sector to the national economy
• Greater adoption of technology, innovation and digitalisation
• Stronger international market access for Malaysian companies

MIHAS serves as one of the major international platforms supporting these objectives.

Why MIHAS 2026 Matters

For Businesses

MIHAS provides opportunities to:

• Meet international buyers and distributors
• Explore export opportunities
• Identify potential business partners
• Benchmark competitors
• Discover new products and technologies
• Understand developments in Halal regulations and standards
• Participate in structured B2B business matching
• Build relationships across the international Halal ecosystem

For Halal Industry Professionals

For Halal Executives, auditors, trainers and other industry professionals, MIHAS provides direct exposure to how Halal requirements operate across different industries and international markets.

It also enables professionals to observe developments in areas such as:

• Halal assurance
• Governance
• Traceability
• Supply-chain management
• Food safety
• Technology
• Sustainability
• International market requirements

For Malaysia

MIHAS strengthens Malaysia’s role as an international platform for:

• Halal trade
• Halal standards and governance
• Export development
• International business matching
• Halal industry knowledge
• Commercial diplomacy

It also provides Malaysian companies—particularly SMEs and MSMEs—with access to international buyers that may otherwise be difficult to reach independently.

MIHAS 2026 in Context

MIHAS is increasingly evolving from a conventional four-day exhibition into a broader Halal trade ecosystem.

The 2026 edition demonstrates this through the combination of:

• Physical exhibitions
• International sourcing
• Hosted buyers
• AI-powered matchmaking
• Industry forums
• Knowledge programmes
• Awards
• Digital trade infrastructure
• Export development initiatives
• Specialised programmes such as WiEX

The commercial objective is increasingly focused not merely on generating exhibition attendance, but on turning connections into qualified business engagements and measurable trade outcomes.

Conclusion

MIHAS 2026 represents a significant evolution of the Malaysia International Halal Showcase.

Taking place from 23–26 September 2026 at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur, the 22nd edition carries the theme “Shaping Trust, Driving Resilience.”

While MIHAS remains one of the world’s largest gatherings of Halal businesses and industry stakeholders, its 2026 direction places substantially greater emphasis on trust, governance, traceability, artificial intelligence and measurable commercial outcomes.

With more than 1,700 booths, over 40,000 targeted trade visitors, 14 industry clusters, extensive international buyer programmes and increasingly sophisticated AI-powered trade facilitation, MIHAS continues to serve as one of the most significant global platforms connecting businesses across the Halal economy.