Russia’s halal poultry exports continue to expand as the country is diversifying shipments beyond traditional Middle Eastern markets, according to officials.

Russia increased halal product exports by 86% over the past 5 years, reaching US$388 million in 2025, Ilya Ilyushin, head of the federal agroexport center, outlined at the KazanForum economic event.

In 2025 alone, Russia exported halal poultry meat worth US$252 million. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran remained the leading buyers, accounting for more than 90% of total halal shipments. While the number of export markets is on the rise, Russia’s halal industry is largely dependent on Saudi Arabia.

“At the same time, Saudi Arabia accounted for 76% of food supplies meeting halal standards,” Ilyushin said. “This situation makes us dependent on one market and requires diversification of exports through the active development of new destinations.”

In 2024, Russian poultry industry officials estimated that Russia held a 10% share in the Saudi halal poultry market.

New markets in sight

In a bid to diversify exports, Russian poultry companies have already started expanding into Southeast Asia and North Africa. For instance, Ilyushin said, Malaysia imported the first batch of 30 tonnes of Russian turkey worth nearly US$119,000 this year, while halal meat exports to Jordan increased almost 6-fold over the past 5 years to US$8.1 million.

Shipments to Kuwait rose 50% to US$5.9 million, exports to Turkey jumped 260% to US$3.99 million, and exports to Egypt increased 70% to US$2.8 million since 2021.

“The product diversification of halal exports is intensifying,” Ilyushin said, adding that in addition to poultry, Russian firms are also scaling up halal dairy exports.

A promising niche

Russia’s poultry industry sees vast potential in the global halal market. Exports in this segment could drive the growth of the Russian poultry industry in the coming years.

According to Ilyushin, the halal segment remains one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global food market. Consumer spending in Muslim countries is expected to exceed US$3 trillion by 2028, compared with US$2.4 trillion currently. Food spending alone is forecast to rise from US$1.4 trillion to US$1.9 trillion over the same period, he said.

During the KazanForum, the Russian quality agency Roskachestvo and the business association Opora Russia signed a 3-year cooperation agreement aimed at supporting halal export growth, improving standards, and helping small and medium-sized businesses enter the halal market ecosystem.