Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia: Asia sets out to conquer global halal
Long reduced in Europe to a mainly food and community market, halal has become a real subject of industrial policy in Asia. Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia: governments are investing, structuring their sectors and seeking to take a position on a global Islamic economy which now weighs several trillion dollars.
According to the State of the Global Islamic Economy 2025/26Muslim consumer spending in six major sectors — food, clothing, cosmetics, pharmacy, tourism, media and entertainment — reached around $2.6 trillion in 2024. It could climb to $3.56 trillion in 2029. For halal food alone, spending was around $1.5 trillion in 2024.
Malaysia wants to remain the halal capital of the world
In this race, Malaysia has a head start. The country has made halal a truly strategic sector, with an ecosystem that brings together certification, industry, export, Islamic finance, logistics and research. In 2025, Malaysia’s halal exports reached 68.52 billion ringgit, up 10.9% year-on-year. The country relies in particular on JAKIM, its Department of Islamic Development, whose certification benefits from strong international recognition. But Kuala Lumpur no longer just wants to certify food products. Her Halal Industry Master Plan 2030 also targets pharmacy, cosmetics, medical devices, logistics and the hotel industry. The country also has 14 HALMAS halal industrial parks, designed to accommodate production lines fully compliant with halal requirements.
The idea is simple: to make halal no longer just a religious label, but a real tool of economic power.
Thailand wants to become a food hub for Muslim countries
The Thai case is just as interesting. Thailand is not a Muslim country, but it now considers halal as an important source of export growth. The country has more than 200,000 halal-certified products under the supervision of the Central Islamic Council of Thailand. Between January and October 2025, its exports of halal food products to member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation reached $4.872 billion.
Rice, sugar, seafood, oils, cassava, chicken, processed fruits, soft drinks and prepared meals are among the main export categories. Bangkok even has a clear ambition: to become a “Food Security Hub” for Muslim countries. In 2026, the Islamic Bank of Thailand and EXIM Bank launched the Halal Bridge program to support Thai SMEs towards international markets: certification, packaging, financing, innovation and connection with foreign buyers.
Thailand is therefore seeking to transform its classic agri-food power into a halal exporting power.
Vietnam wants to catch up
Vietnam starts from further away, but it accelerates quickly. Its halal exports now represent around $900 million per year, still less than 1% of the global market. Between 2024 and 2026, only 1,000 to 1,300 Vietnamese companies have obtained or maintained halal certification. For Hanoi, this delay is precisely an opportunity.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade has made halal a new axis of its export policy. In September 2026, a national conference brought together administrations, trade offices, companies and professional associations with a clear objective: better connect Vietnamese production to Muslim markets. The country has significant assets in agriculture, seafood, agri-food and processed products. But it still needs to make progress on certification, knowledge of Muslim markets, high value-added processing and securing halal chains.
Hanoi also wants to go beyond food. Cosmetics, pharmacy, tourism and logistics are now clearly targeted. In May 2026, a Vietnam Halal Promotion and Experience Center was even inaugurated in Hanoi to help businesses better understand market requirements.
Even Cambodia wants its share of the market
More unexpectedly, Cambodia is also entering the race. In July 2026, the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce launched a national campaign to encourage businesses to obtain halal certification. The procedures have been simplified: the registration period must be reduced from 90 to 60 working days, while the validity period of certificates increases from one to two years.
The campaign is expected to affect several major economic and tourism provinces, including Siem Reap, Battambang, Kampot and Sihanoukville. Cambodia is also seeking to strengthen its cooperation with Malaysia. Phnom Penh sees halal as a new growth driver, while Kuala Lumpur brings its expertise in certification and infrastructure.
An economic battle much broader than religion
What is at stake today in Asia goes far beyond the simple question of whether a product is halal or not. States are seeking to build real value chains: raw materials, processing, traceability, storage, transport, logistics, financing. Halal becomes a commercial passport to access a market of more than two billion Muslim consumers. This is also what explains why countries where Muslims are a minority, such as Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia, invest so much in this sector.
Halal is no longer seen solely as a religious market. It becomes a strategic market.
And French companies in all this?
For French halal companies, this development is far from being anecdotal. France has real assets in the food industry, dairy products, ingredients, bakery, cosmetics, pharmacy, food supplements and even catering. But to succeed in Asia, French halal certification is not always enough. Rules change depending on the country, recognized certifiers are not the same everywhere and import requirements can be very strict. For a French SME, it is therefore necessary to think from the start about the target market, the recognition of its certification body, the traceability of ingredients and the entire logistics chain.
Malaysia can serve as a gateway to part of Southeast Asia thanks to its very structured ecosystem. Thailand, for its part, offers opportunities for industrial partnerships. Vietnam and Cambodia are still in the construction phase, which could open up opportunities. There are therefore two possible markets for French companies: selling directly to Asian Muslim consumers, but also providing know-how, ingredients, equipment, training or services to local manufacturers who want to develop in halal.
The center of gravity of halal is shifting
While in France halal is still often treated from a polemical or identity angle, part of Asia already thinks in terms of exports, industrial standards, market shares and billions of dollars. Malaysia wants to maintain its lead. Thailand wants to become a food hub of the Muslim world. Vietnam wants to catch up. Cambodia wants to enter the race. One thing is clear: halal is no longer just a market for Muslims. It has become a strategic sector of the global economy.
