1. We Participated in the 4th European Halal Congress.
Date: June 9-10, 2026
Organized primarily by the Agency for Halal Quality Certification, Bosnia (AHQC) which is —one of the pioneers in the field of halal certification in the Balkans—along with Halal Control GmbH (Germany), the Faculty of Islamic Studies at the University of Sarajevo, the Faculty of Technology at the University of Tuzla, and the Food for Health Association, the 4th European Halal Congress was held on June 9-10 in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Supported by institutions such as SMIIC and FINRA University, Tuzla, Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and others, the event brought together international certification bodies, food manufacturers, academics, and industry experts.
Within the scope of the congress program, prominent industry-shaping themes were discussed, including halal certification and compliance, food safety, supply chain integrity, innovation, sustainability, consumer trust, and developments within the global halal ecosystem.
Representing Yıldız Holding, our General Manager of Food Safety & Defense, Mr. Rohaizad Hassan, attended the congress as an invited speaker. Speaking at the second session titled “Halal Industry Dialogue,” which featured international participants, Mr. Hassan delivered a comprehensive presentation on the “Implementation of Halal Requirements.” During this panel, which also included industry experts from Germany and Croatia, Mr. Hassan shared Yıldız Holding’s experiences and perspectives on the implementation of halal requirements in global food production. Furthermore, he conveyed the works and practices of our Food Safety Board to industry representatives under the topics of food safety, quality, supply chain integrity, and consumer trust.
2. We Participated in the World Halal Summit and Halal Expo
Date: November 26-29, 2025
We are pleased to announce our participation in the 11th World Halal Summit and Halal Expo. This significant event was held under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, in coordination with the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), an affiliated body of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and with the support of the Ministry of Trade and the Halal Accreditation Agency (HAK). The opening ceremony was attended by esteemed Ministers from numerous countries, and featured keynote speeches by the Minister of Trade, Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, and the President of Religious Affairs, Prof. Dr. Safi Arpaguş.
Within the scope of the summit, our Food Safety Board delivered a presentation on behalf of Yıldız Holding, focusing on our consumer sensitivities standards in session that addressed current themes such as Lab Analysis and Integrity Control.
Concurrently, our Food Safety Department was present at the stands of our leading food company, Ülker, and our export company, Yeni Teközel, which participated in the Halal Expo organized simultaneously with the summit. We answered the visitors’ questions about our Consumer Sensitivities Standard, which we implement as Yıldız Holding, and about the company. This provided a valuable opportunity to engage with both domestic and international stakeholders.
3. As the Food Safety Board, We Participated In the Makkah Halal Forum 2025
Date: 25-27 February 2025
The opening remarks for the Makkah Halal Forum (MHF) 2025 were delivered by Mr. Yousef Khalawi, the Secretary General of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD). This marks the official start of the conference program under the theme “Sustainable Development Through Halal.”
The Makkah Halal Forum (MHF) 2025, held from February 25th to 27th in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Majid Bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, Minister of Commerce, is a premier global event aimed at shaping the future of the halal industry. Announced at http://www.makkahhalalforum.com, the forum brings together leaders, innovators, and experts to discuss sustainable development through halal practices. The event features a diverse program, including conference sessions, panel discussions, keynote speeches, master classes, round tables, and cooking shows, covering topics like halal food innovation, supply chain management, digital ecosystems, and global market challenges. Highlights include B2B meetings, a visit to an industrial city investment zone, and the launch of the Halal Awards, with notable speakers such as H.E. Prof. Dr. Koutoub Moustapha Sano and H.E. Mr. Haikal Hassan addressing sharia, sustainability, and economic growth. The forum fosters collaboration, showcases technological advancements like blockchain and AI, and aligns halal principles with sustainable development goals, offering a platform for global trade facilitation and industry advancement.
At the opening ceremony and appreciation dinner of the Makkah Halal Forum, we witnessed Pladis Global’s involvement being recognized which also attended by the Food Safety Board representative. The plaque was presented by HE Dr. Majid Abdullah, Minister of Commerce, to pladis representative Ali Masraie. As one of the captains of the industry with double-digit growth, pladis has been seen as a prominent market leader in many ways by the government and the industry.
4. We attended Makkah Halal Forum 2024 as Yildiz Holding Food Safety Board.
“A Grand Gathering Leading to Innovation and Collaboration in the Halal Industry”
Date: 23-25 January 2024
Makkah Halal Forum, of which we are a Platinum sponsor with pladis was a 3-day event that took place on 23-25 January 2024 for the first time, marking a new era in Halal events worldwide for 2024. The forum, held in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, showcased the finest in Halal services and products and offered workshops, discussion panels, and opportunities for partnerships and collaborations across multiple sectors. The event brought together exhibitors and speakers from around the world.
The forum was launched under the slogan “innovation in the halal industry”, under the patronage of HE Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al Kassabi, Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The event was organized by various chambers of commerce along with the Islamic Chamber for Halal Services (ICHS), in strategic partnership with the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Active participation from countries such as Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Chad, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil and Egypt, as well as the host country, reflects the diversity and richness of the global halal market.
At the Pladis booth, we were delighted to welcome many visitors, share information, and spread happiness by offering our top-of-the-line products, such as Ülker Biskrem, Godiva, McVities, and other products produced in Jeddah and Riyadh.
Serkan Taşkın, General Manager of pladis Saudi Arabia, Rohaizad Hassan, Director of Yıldız Holding Food Safety Board, and Ali Masraie, pladis HSEQ MENA Regional Leader, received the plaque of appreciation for our contribution to the event from HE Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al Kassabi, Minister of Commerce of Saudi Arabia.
5. Webinar Halal – SFDA (Saudi Food and Drug Authority)
Date: 17 August 2021
Attendees: Rohaizad Hassan, Numan Akkuş, Çağlar Kaya
Speaker: Prof. Saad bin Turki Al Khathlan
Professor at the Faculty of Sharia Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University Chairman of the Jurisprudence Committee at Saudi Halal Center
Content was for both general audience and industry experts:
– Anyone interested to learn Halal and learn to identify calamities in food
– Understand Halal from Saudi Arabia authority standpoint, thus helps the market expectation of KSA and GCC.
6. What Consumers Need to Know about Global Food Regulations
Interviewed by Yvonne Maffei – My Halal Kitchen with Rohaizad Hassan
Guest: Rohaizad Hassan
Date: August 2021
In this interview, Halal industry expert Rohaizad Hassan of Yildiz Holding explains the differences in regulations for things like alcohol and organic products and particular diets such as Halal, vegetarian and vegan food products.
Link
7. WHBC2021 Webinar Series: Creating Quality Employment and Talent Through Halal Industry
In this webinar, the following aspects have been addressed:
- Large availability of employers in the Halal talent landscape.
- Evolution of business model and specific skillsets in demand during the economic recovery.
- Quality of skillset for Halal talent acquisition.
- Knowledge and information imparted by industry veterans.
Panel of speakers comprise three honourable industry experts:
- Mr Rohaizad Hassan, Food Safety Director, Food Safety Board Presidency Yildiz Holding A.S, Turkey
- Ms Nadia Abdul Aziz, Chairperson, Women in Logistics and Transport (WiLAT), UAE
- Mr Muhammad Hafez Kamaruddin, Acting Deputy Chief Strategy, HRD Corp – Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), Malaysia
This session moderated by Ms Norhariti Jalil, Partner, Malaysia/ASEAN Dinar Standard
8. BRCGS Packaging Materials Standard Version 6 Training
Date: 21-22 October 2021
Place: Yıldız Holding Seminar Hall, Çamlıca, Üsküdar, İstanbul
Participants: Numan Akkuş, Çağlar Kaya, food safety managers of our factories
Packaging materials in which we package our carefully produced products should protect the food from external factors. There should be no physical, chemical or microbiological contamination from the packaging material to the food. For this purpose, we implement many procedures and analyses in selecting our packaging materials suppliers, in the follow-up of quality performances, in our routine audits, and during our input acceptance processes.
In order to refresh our knowledge in this field, we organized the BRCGS Packaging Materials Standard training, which defines the rules to be considered in terms of food safety in the production of packaging materials and is one of the internationally accepted standards, with the participation of our relevant managers from our Holding factories. In addition, we have had the opportunity to consult extensively with both our instructor and ourselves to review our practices.
Trainer: Food Engineer MSc Asiye EFE