Ever more producers are catering to the domestic Muslim community, which accounts for around 15% of Russia’s population.
The factory was among the first of its kind when it opened two decades ago, recreating Soviet-style sausages in accordance with Islamic law, among other products. “We’ve looked at the international experience in the Arab world, in Malaysia, and we’ve developed our Russian standard following that model,” Abbyasov said in an interview at Moscow’s central mosque.
Russia’s overall economy is stagnant, with the government predicting growth of only 1.3% this year, after 2.3% growth in 2018.Alif, a Moscow-based cosmetics firm, is a new company at the forefront of the move towards exporting halal goods from Russia. “It’s a way for people who don’t know about Islam, who aren’t Muslim, to find out about what ‘halal’ actually means,” Hosman added of the alcohol- and animal fats-free cosmetics.