Meat Importers in the Middle East Should Note India’s Updated Halal Export Guidelines

Middle Eastern meat importers should prepare for significant changes to India’s halal meat export system, as new guidelines are set to take effect on October 16, 2024. Key export markets for India’s halal meat products in the Middle East are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, among others.

By Melissa Cyrill

India, one of the world’s largest meat exporters, has introduced new certification requirements from October 16 aimed at ensuring halal compliance for exports to 15 key countries, namely Bahrain, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Jordan, Oman, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, and the UAE.

Under the updated guidelines, meat products—such as fresh and frozen beef, sheep, goat meat, and meat products like sausages—will only be eligible for export if they are processed in facilities certified under the ‘India Conformity Assessment Scheme (I-CAS) – Halal.’ This scheme, developed by the Quality Council of India (QCI), mandates that all halal-certified meat products must be produced, processed, and packaged in accredited facilities. Exporters will also need to provide a valid halal certification to buyers in the importing countries after shipment.

These policy changes, announced by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), are designed to streamline India’s halal certification process and ensure compliance with the standards required by Muslim-majority countries. The guidelines affect exports to several key Middle Eastern markets, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar, which are significant consumers of Indian halal meat.

This follows the Indian government’s decision to extend the deadline for halal certification bodies to register under the new system by three months, giving existing bodies until July 2024 to obtain accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB). Previously, India lacked a mandatory government-regulated halal certification system, but the i-CAS Halal scheme is set to change that.

For importers in the Middle East, this regulatory shift means that only meat certified under the i-CAS Halal scheme will be allowed into their markets, ensuring consistency and compliance with international halal standards. The move also reflects India’s efforts to secure its position in the growing global halal food market, which is projected to reach US$3.9 trillion by 2027, driven by increasing demand from the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

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