Ambassador Chaudhri: Indonesia-Pakistan have potential to lead global halal industry

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, has said Indonesia and Pakistan have significant potential to become leaders in the global halal industry.

“Pakistan and Indonesia can not only promote the halal economy in our respective countries, but together we can become leaders in the halal industry,” he said in his remarks at the celebration of Pakistan’s Independence Day in Jakarta on Friday evening (14/8).

According to Ambassador Chaudhri, Pakistan has a population of around 250 million and Indonesia around 280 million, so combined, the two countries represent more than a quarter of the world’s Muslim population.

He noted that the value of the global halal economy is currently very large and encompasses a wide range of sectors, from halal food to various halal services, with an estimated value of around seven trillion US dollars.

This reality opens up opportunities for Pakistan and Indonesia not only to develop the halal industry domestically, but also to strengthen the two countries’ leadership at the global level, he said.

In this regard, Ambassador Chaudhri welcomed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on halal industry cooperation signed by Indonesia and Pakistan in Islamabad on 9 December 2025.

He viewed the cooperation as an important step to strengthen relations between the two countries while promoting the development of the halal industry.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti said Pakistan is an important economic partner for Indonesia, especially in the South Asia region.

According to her, bilateral trade between Indonesia and Pakistan reached around 4.26 billion US dollars (approximately Rp75 trillion) in 2025, up 2.9 percent compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, the value of Indonesia’s exports to Pakistan reached around 4.11 billion US dollars (approximately Rp73 trillion) and imports around 153 million US dollars (approximately Rp2.7 trillion).

“These figures demonstrate the strength of the economic partnership while opening up opportunities for broader cooperation in the future through the spirit of gotong royong,” she said.

Pakistan commemorated its 79th independence day on Friday, since becoming a sovereign state on 14 August 1947.