The government of Dubai in conjunction with Dubai Industrial City and Economic Zones World (EZW) launched a Halal Cluster in February this year marking a step forward in the emirate’s vision of positioning itself as the global capital of Islamic economy. Designed as a dedicated base for halal manufacturing and logistics companies in food, cosmetics and personal care industries, the cluster articulates the emirate’s commitment to developing halal zones to tap into a growing trillion-dollar global market. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, halal food imports to the GCC are expected to reach US$53.1 billion by 2020 with the UAE alone projected to import US$4.8 billion worth of halal food by the end of the decade. The UAE’s strategic location within easy distance of other halal markets such as Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Iran served as a primary reason for setting up a regional Halal Cluster in Dubai. The destination will seek to incentivize companies in the sector to establish manufacturing or logistics facilities in collaboration with the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), and the Dubai Municipality.