Halal Expo Canada 2025 ​Program Schedule

REGISTER TO ATTEND

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Tuesday - May 27th, 2025

REGISTRATION 9:30 am - 10:00 am   
RIBBON CUTTING 10:00 am 
OPENING REMARKS  Nasser Deeb & Dr. Slimi, and other dignitary officials.

KEYNOTE 11:15 AM – 11:30 AM - State of Canada's Halal Economy
​Iman Ali - Consultant at DinarStandard

Panel Discussion 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM What’s In My Supplement? Why Halal Wellness Matters - Sponsored by Sahara Supplements
Panelists:

• Tabish Rizwani - Founder & CEO - Sahara Supplements
• Suresh Kolla, President at Pharmaline Inc. and Founder & CEO, Nutrameltz Inc

Moderated by:
Musaab Maniar - Halal Certification Coordinator - ISNA Canada

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COOKING DEMO - Sponsored by Sargent Farms
12:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Chef Zarqa
Dish: Musakhan wrap 

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KEYNOTE 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM -  Demystifying Islamic Finance: Principles, Practices, and Opportunities - Sponsored by Ansar Financial - Dr. Mohammed Sawwaf - PhD, MSc, MBA - CEO of Manzil

PANEL 1:45 PM – 2:15 PM - Halal Financing Models: Mortgages, Investments & What You Need to Know 
Panelists:

• Mohammed Jalaluddin - Chairman of Ansar Financial
• Dr. Mohammed Sawwaf - PhD, MSc, MBA - CEO of Manzil

Moderated by

• Rehan Khan - CPA, MBA - Aya Financial

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COOKING DEMO - Sponsored by Canada Beef
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Chef Kazi 
 Dish: London Broiled ​(BEEF)

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KEYNOTE 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM -  The State of the Halal Industry - Sheikh Hosam Helal - Imam & Religious Educator - ISNA Halal Canada

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COOKING DEMO - Sponsored by Mina Halal
 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Chef Zarqa 
Dish: Pakoras

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PANEL 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM - The Power of Islamic Media: Shaping Narrative, Building Identity, and Driving Impact
Panelists

• Taha Ghayyur - Senior Vice President - Sound Vision 
• Dr. Safiyyah Ally - Founder of Muslim Media Hub
• Chelby Diagle - Editor in Chief - MuslimLink
• Tabish Hasan - CEO - Muslim Ad Network

Moderator:
Mamoun S. Hassan - Managing Director - Nabaga Media Production & Agency
​
Closing Remarks & Day 1 Wrap-up - 4:30 PM – 4:45 PM 

• Summary of key insights from the day.
• Announcements for Day 2 sessions.

HALAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS - 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM 
Honouring Outstanding Achievements in Halal Excellence

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Wednesday - May 28th, 2025

KEYNOTE 11:00 am - 11:15 am - Understanding the Halal Opportunity in the Canadian Grocery Industry - Nick Gibson - Client Business Partner - NielsenIQ
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PANEL 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM - Mainstream Meets Halal: Retail Strategies for an Inclusive Market
Panelists:

• Onder Ozturk – Director, Customer Business Development - Maple Leaf Foods​

Moderator:

• Nick Gibson - Client Business Partner - NielsenIQ

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COOKING DEMO - Sponsored by Sargent Farms
 12:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Chef Zarqa 
 Dish: Shawarma Bowls

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PANEL 1:45 PM – 2:15 PM - Export Smarter: Strategies for Canadian Businesses to Conquer Global Markets
Panelists:

• Jenn Juby - Managing Director - Startup Canada
• Lora Rigutto, CITP - Partnerships and Community Lead - Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) 
• Zeeshanali Fazal - Regional Director at EDC (Export Development Canada)

Moderator:

• Rowda Mohamud - Director, Business Development, BDC Advisory Services

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COOKING DEMO - Sponsored by Canada Beef
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Chef Kazi 
 Dish: Beef Tender Stir-fry​

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KEYNOTE 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM  - Halal Business Economics - Fathi Abu Farah - CPA CA - Director of International Professional Group Inc.

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COOKING DEMO - Sponsored by Mina Halal
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Chef Zarqa
 Dish: Chicken Karahi 

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​Conference Closing & Key Takeaways -  3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

• Final reflections on the conference
  
• A look ahead at future opportunities in the halal sector.