The city of Kuching, Sarawak, hosted the inaugural Borneo International Halal Showcase (BIHAS) 2026 at the Kuching Waterfront Square and The Waterfront Hotel Kuching from 21 to 23 July 2026.
Organized by the Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment Sarawak (MINTRED), this landmark three-day event served as a major strategic platform uniting policymakers, international investors, entrepreneurs, academics, and industry pioneers to advance a resilient, sustainable, and forward-looking Halal economy across the Borneo region and beyond.
About BIHAS 2026
Held under the overarching theme of developing a sustainable Halal ecosystem, BIHAS 2026 was designed to establish Sarawak and the wider island of Borneo as a leading global Halal trade and tourism gateway. The event directly aligns with Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
The annual showcase brought together producers and trade delegations from Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei Darussalam, and Kalimantan (Indonesia) to connect with international buyers from key global markets, including Saudi Arabia, Europe, and East Asia. Anchored around six core strategic pillars—Halal Trade & Investment, Capacity Building, Innovation & Digitalization, Sustainability & ESG Alignment, Inclusivity, and Policy & Infrastructure—the event also marked the official launch of the Sarawak Halal Industry Development Plan 2026–2030.
CrescentRating’s Presence: Decoding Global Muslim Travel Trends
Reinforcing the critical role of faith-compatible tourism within the broader Halal economy, Fazal Bahardeen, Founder & CEO of CrescentRating and HalalTrip, was invited to participate as a featured speaker across the conference's insight sessions and deliver a specialized keynote address.
Drawing upon over a decade of longitudinal research from the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2026, Bahardeen highlighted the accelerating opportunities awaiting regional destinations:
The Macro Expansion
With the global Muslim travel market scaling toward 262 million international arrivals and USD 310 billion in expenditure by 2030, destination readiness must move beyond basic food certification to encompass comprehensive lifestyle, wellness, and digital experiences.
The ACES & RIDA Experience Framework
To convert traveler interest into sustained arrivals, destinations must balance physical infrastructure (Access, Communications, Environment, Services) with qualitative experiential refinement (Responsible, Immersive, Digital, Assured).
Capitalizing on Borneo’s Inherent Strengths
Bahardeen emphasized that Sarawak is uniquely positioned to capture high-yield Muslim travelers by harmonizing its rich indigenous heritage, nature-based eco-tourism, and welcoming hospitality with clear and verified faith-friendly amenities.
Showcasing Sarawak’s Spirit as an Emerging Halal Powerhouse
BIHAS 2026 underscored Sarawak’s proactive commitment to becoming an international benchmark for Halal trade and inclusive hospitality. Through its PCDS 2030, the region have highlighted four areas that will be focused on mutually exclusive:
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Cross-Border Borneo Connectivity (Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, Kalimantan)
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Halal Industry Development Plan 2026–2030 & Institutional MOUs
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ESG, Green Tech, & Sustainable Halal Supply Chain Integration
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Inclusive Eco-Tourism & Cultural Heritage Positioning
By leveraging its strategic geographical location in Southeast Asia, abundant natural resources, and strong multicultural harmony, Sarawak is translating its economic vision into concrete cross-border partnerships. The showcase proved that the state is not only expanding its export capabilities across F&B, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, but is also curating a safe environment for faith-conscious eco-travelers.
Accelerating Borneo’s Global Halal Ecosystem
The success of the inaugural Borneo International Halal Showcase 2026 demonstrates the growing momentum of regional Halal ecosystems in shaping global commerce and tourism. Through sustained collaboration between government bodies like MINTRED, trade associations, and global intelligence leaders like CrescentRating, Sarawak is firmly paving the way toward becoming a vibrant, globally competitive, and sustainable Halal hub.
