Indonesia-S. Arabia establish partnership for halal product assurance

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have established a strategic partnership to strengthen the halal product quality and assurance system through the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) and the Saudi Halal Center. 

The head of BPJPH, Ahmad Haikal Hasan, said the partnership reflects the long-term commitment of both countries to building integrated, high-standard global halal governance. 

"This partnership strengthens the foundation of the halal systems of both countries through harmonization of mechanisms, digital transformation, and strengthening institutional capacity. Indonesia views Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner in building a credible, transparent, and interconnected global halal ecosystem," he remarked in a statement on Wednesday. 

According to Hasan, the synergy through this memorandum of understanding (MoU) is an integral part of the previous collaboration signed in Riyadh on October 19, 2023. 

In Indonesia's halal product assurance system, the Saudi Halal Center, under the coordination of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), is positioned as a Foreign Halal Institution (LHLN) that partners with BPJPH in the cross-border recognition and cooperation mechanism. 

Hasan explained that this strengthened collaboration includes the adoption of an integrated digital system for issuing halal certificates through the exchange of data and information to increase efficiency, simplify procedures, and support the digital transformation of the halal systems of both countries. 

In addition, this agreement regulates the use of the halal logo in the Saudi Halal Center certification system, replacing the logo listed in the 2023 MoU. 

The recognition and inclusion of this logo are carried out within the framework of bilateral cooperation and remain subject to the national laws and regulations of each country. 

Products entering the Indonesian market must display the Indonesian Halal label in accordance with statutory provisions and may be displayed alongside the Saudi Halal Center's halal logo. 

Meanwhile, for products entering the Saudi Arabian market, the halal logo used in the Saudi Halal Center certification system must comply with applicable regulations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and may be displayed alongside the Indonesian Halal Label. 

"With this synergy, BPJPH ensures that the halal product assurance cooperation between the two countries is carried out in accordance with statutory provisions, provides legal certainty for businesses and protection for consumers, and is implemented on the principle of mutual benefit," Hasan assured.