Libya Pavilion at MIHAS 2026: A Strategic Bridge Opening New Avenues for Trade with Malaysia

Libya Pavilion at MIHAS 2026: A Strategic Bridge Opening New Avenues for Trade with Malaysia

Amr Yehia , Kuala Lumpur

- A gateway for Malaysia and ASEAN to North Africa and the Mediterranean
- The pavilion is a launching pad for Libyan friends into the Asian halal economy
-  Growing momentum in relations: bilateral trade reached RM1.03 billion in 2025

The Libya Pavilion was inaugurated today at the Malaysia International Halal Showcase MIHAS 2026, in a step aimed at building a direct trade corridor between the two countries and opening new markets for Malaysian and Libyan companies in North Africa and Southeast Asia.

Dato' Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), said during the inauguration of the pavilion at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), that the Libyan pavilion does not represent just an exhibition space, but a strategic bridge.

He added: "It is a gateway for Malaysia and ASEAN to North Africa and the Mediterranean, and a launching pad for our Libyan friends into the Asian halal economy. By bringing Libya's growing private sector into Malaysia's halal ecosystem, with its certification, quality assurance and trade infrastructure, we can build supply chains strong enough to serve the entire Islamic world."

The Chairman of MATRADE revealed that the growing momentum in economic relations between Malaysia and Libya was reflected in trade figures, which reached RM1.03 billion in 2025, with a growth of 38.9% compared to the previous year.

He explained that Malaysia's exports to Libya during the first eight months of 2026 reached RM106.5 million, with an annual increase of 73.4%, including mainly machinery, equipment and spare parts, chemicals and chemical products, and palm oil and palm oil-based agricultural products.

He pointed out that this rapprochement is the fruit of the Export Acceleration Mission organized by MATRADE to Tripoli in May 2024 with the participation of 10 Malaysian companies, which resulted in business opportunities of about RM250 million, then Malaysia's participation in the Tripoli International Fair earlier this year, culminating in Libya's participation for the first time with a full national pavilion at MIHAS this year.

The Libyan Pavilion was organized in cooperation between the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and the General Authority for Exhibitions and Conferences.

MIHAS this year is being held in its 22nd edition under the slogan "Shaping Trust and Driving Resilience," with the participation of about 1,700 exhibitors in 2,000 booths, targeting sales exceeding RM5 billion.

The Chairman of MATRADE said: "We chose this slogan because we face a lot of uncertainty, and we are affected by geopolitical tensions in West Asia and the disruption of global supply chains and maritime routes. In such an environment, what matters most is trusted friendship, and this is crucial, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises."

Reezal Merican confirmed that the global halal market is currently estimated at about USD 3.5 trillion according to the Global Islamic Economy Indicator, and is expected to rise sharply to nearly USD 10 trillion by 2030.

He added that Malaysia has maintained the number one position globally in the Islamic Economy Indicator for 12 consecutive years, but he stressed that leadership is not achieved in isolation.

He continued: "True leadership is achieved through integration with other countries, foremost Libya with its growing private sector. Together we can innovate flexible supply chains that serve the wider Islamic world," pointing to Malaysia's proposal to establish the ASEAN Halal Council in September 2027 as an institutional step to turn the idea into reality.

The opening ceremony was attended from the Libyan side by Eng. Essam Abdel Jalil Al-Aoul, Chairman of the General Authority for Exhibitions and Conferences and Head of the Libyan delegation, Dr. Hassan Taher Al-Kamil, Head of the Department of Private Sector Development and Investment at the Ministry of Economy and Trade, Anwar Abu Sitta, Chairman of the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, and Haj Aziz Aouan, Chairman of the Libyan-Malaysian Joint Business Chamber.

From the Malaysian side, Prof. Dr. Effandi Saleh, Chairman of the Halal Development Corporation HDC, Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, Sharin Hamidun, President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry NCCIM, and Jai Shankar, Deputy CEO of MATRADE, participated.

For his part, Eng. Essam Abdel Jalil Al-Aoul, Chairman of the General Authority for Exhibitions and Conferences, said that this first participation of Libya in MIHAS 2026 will not be the last, expressing Tripoli's aspiration for a real strategic partnership with Kuala Lumpur.

Al-Aoul said: "We thank the Kingdom of Malaysia for all the facilitations and all those in charge of the MIHAS exhibition, and with us today is an integrated Libyan delegation. This is the first participation of Libya in MIHAS and, God willing, it will not be the last, and we look forward to a strategic and real cooperation with Malaysia."

The Libyan delegation conveyed the greetings of the Minister of Economy and Trade of the Government of National Unity and his full support for the Libyan participation, inviting Malaysian companies to participate in the next edition of the Tripoli International Fair 2027, one of the oldest fairs in Africa and the Middle East and North Africa.

Reezal Merican concluded the ceremony by announcing the official opening of the Libya Pavilion, saying: "I hope that all your meetings will be fruitful and that your participation in MIHAS will contribute to strengthening the partnership between Libya and Malaysia."