A company co-founded by the first Malaysian in space will soon launch Aladdin Street Singapore, an eCommerce platform specialising in halal goods and services.
With plans for sites in 30 countries, the Aladdin Group aims to promote halal products as a healthy, premium option even for non-Muslims.
With its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, the group was co-founded by Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, who travelled to the International Space Station in 2007 aboard a Russian spacecraft.
“Halal is for everyone in search of a safer, healthier and more wholesome lifestyle,” says Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, who is an orthopaedic surgeon.
Merchants will be invited to join the marketplace after being screened for quality and compliance with halal standards by an in-house team.
Aladdin Street Singapore president Grace Kong says the platform aims to bring 100 Singapore merchants on board over the next 12 months, and is targeting revenue of $50 million over the same period.
There are 20 staff members in Singapore, and this is expected to expand to 50 by the end of the year.
Singapore and China are the top two importers of halal products from Malaysia, says Kong, who also runs a financial advisory firm specialising in corporate risk management and wealth planning.
“The demand for halal and premium-quality products from non-Muslim countries is rising as halal standards gain recognition and acceptance for their uncompromising approach to food safety and hygiene.”
Aladdin Street has also opened an office in China and will officially open in Indonesia next week. It plans to eventually have a presence in India, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, Britain, the US and Canada.
Launching the Malaysian version of the website in April, the company has signed up about 80 merchants selling more than 10,000 products, says Aladdin Group chief marketing officer Laurence Chooi. It aims to hit RM200 million (US$49.75 million) in sales within the first year.
As well as food, the platform offers clothing, cosmetics, electronics and travel services.
