OTOKI, which has recently ramped up production and exports of Halal (allowed under Islamic law) products, is accelerating its push into the Middle East market. Compared with rivals such as Samyang Foods and Nongshim, OTOKI has had a lower export share and only last year properly equipped production facilities certified for Halal. OTOKI plans to gradually increase Halal product exports, starting with Southeast Asia and expanding to the Middle East.
According to the retail industry on the 8th, OTOKI took part in Gulfood 2026, the Middle East and Africa's largest international food fair, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Feb. 26–30, and showcased flagship products such as Jin Ramen and cheese ramen to buyers. With a history of more than 40 years, Gulfood is held annually in Dubai and is regarded as an event that leads global Halal food trends.
This year's Gulfood drew more than 8,500 corporations from 195 countries, more than doubling in size from the previous year. Korea participated with 24 companies in a unified Korea Pavilion, and among large companies, OTOKI, Binggrae, and Sempio Food Company were listed.
While most Korean corporations set up booths of one unit (about 12㎡), OTOKI drew attention by installing a large booth of four units (about 28㎡) in the center of the exhibition hall and creating separate cooking and tasting areas. As OTOKI entered the Halal market relatively later than domestic competitors, this is seen as a bid to firmly make its mark in the local market.
Consumers of Halal foods account for about 25% of the global population. According to statistics from the SGIE (State of the Global Islamic Economy Report), the global Halal food market is projected to grow from $1.434 trillion (about 2,080 trillion won) in 2023 to $1.94 trillion (about 2,800 trillion won) in 2028.
By contrast, Korea's food exports to the six GCC countries in the Middle East—UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman—considered the center of Halal food consumption, amounted to $342.52 million (about 497 billion won) in 2024. The domestic food industry sees ample room for K-food to expand its share in the Halal market.
OTOKI's overseas report card is considered relatively weak at present. As of the cumulative first to third quarters last year, OTOKI's overseas sales were 296 billion won, or 10.7% of total sales. During the same period, overseas sales shares at rivals Nongshim and Samyang Foods reached about 40% and 80%, respectively.
In Dec. 2024, OTOKI built a production line with international Halal certification at its Bac Ninh plant near Hanoi, Vietnam. In March last year, it made the first shipment of export Jin Ramen produced on that line, launching full-scale Halal food exports.
Rivals, on the other hand, have targeted the Halal market early. Samyang Foods obtained certification from the Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) in 2014 and from Indonesia's Council of Ulama (MUI) in 2017. In 2021, it also began full-fledged entry into the Middle East market through an exclusive contract with UAE distributor "Sarya General Trading." Nongshim built a Halal-dedicated line at its Busan plant and granted certification to 46 products, including Shin Ramyun, Neoguri, and Chapagetti, and sells related products in more than 40 countries.
As a latecomer, OTOKI has made export expansion its top management priority in recent years and is bolstering related operations. Since the second half of 2024, it has modernized its branding by changing its existing English notation from "OTTOGI" to the easier-to-pronounce "OTOKI," a representative move.
At a shareholders meeting in March last year, OTOKI CEO Hwang Seong-man said, "We will make targeting overseas markets the top priority this year to move up our goal of achieving 1.1 trillion won in global sales by 2030," adding, "We plan to strengthen global promotion and sales activities and actively target the Halal markets of Southeast Asia and the Middle East, which have a combined population of 2 billion."
In November last year, OTOKI made its first export of Halal-certified Jin Ramen to Indonesia, the world's No. 2 instant noodle market. Starting with Southeast Asia, the company plans to increase sales of Halal products and actively target the Middle East market beginning this year.
An OTOKI official said, "We plan to conduct brand promotion activities for Halal market consumers by carrying out placements, sales, and promotional activities for food products, including ramen, in Southeast Asia's distribution markets," adding, "This year, we aim to further expand the market to the Middle East."