Destination guides

Bangkok

Thailand

Bangkok is comfortable for Muslim travellers. Thailand has an established halal-certification system, a sizeable Thai-Muslim community with mosques across the city, and halal food is easy to find — look for the Thai halal label or Muslim-run eateries. The BTS Skytrain and MRT beat the traffic, and ride-hailing (Grab) is widely used.

Jakarta

Indonesia

Jakarta is effortless for Muslim travellers — Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, so halal food is the default, mosques and musalla are everywhere (including the vast Istiqlal Mosque), and prayer times structure the day. Traffic is heavy, so plan around the MRT, commuter rail and ride-hailing (Gojek and Grab).

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur is one of the easiest cities in the world for a Muslim business traveller. Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country, so halal food is the default rather than the exception, and prayer rooms (surau) are standard in malls, office towers and transport hubs. The main expo venues — the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in the city centre and MITEC near Jalan Duta — are both well served by rail and ride-hailing. English is widely spoken, and most hotels provide a qibla marker and a prayer mat on request.

Singapore

Singapore

Singapore is very welcoming for Muslim travellers thanks to a strong national halal-certification system (MUIS), abundant halal food — including certified hawker stalls — mosques across the island, and prayer rooms in malls and at Changi Airport. The MRT is fast and inexpensive, and English is an official language.

Seoul

South Korea

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a fast, ultra-modern city that hosts major food and halal-focused trade shows — events such as Seoul Food & Hotel and Korea's halal food and cosmetics expos draw international buyers to venues like the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Gangnam. Korea is not a Muslim-majority country, so halal food is not the default: it is concentrated around the Seoul Central Mosque in Itaewon (and the 'Muslim street', Usadan-ro, beside it), with a growing number of certified and Muslim-friendly restaurants elsewhere that the Korea Tourism Organization formally classifies. Outside those, pork and non-halal meat are common in Korean cooking, so it pays to plan meals. The upside: the subway is world-class, cheap and signed in English, the city is extremely safe, and a 24-hour multilingual tourist hotline (1330) is a phone call away.

Tokyo

Japan

Tokyo rewards a little planning for Muslim travellers. Japan is not a Muslim-majority country, so halal food is not the default — but it is increasingly available, with halal ramen and curry, Turkish and Middle Eastern restaurants, and the large Tokyo Camii mosque. Prayer rooms exist at the airports and some department stores; carrying a prayer mat helps. The transport network is superb, though cash is still useful.

Dhaka

Bangladesh

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is one of the easiest cities in the world for a Muslim business traveller: the country is overwhelmingly Muslim, so food is halal by default (no pork, and alcohol is not served in ordinary restaurants), and the adhan marks the rhythm of the day. It is a fast-growing host for food and halal trade shows — the Food Bangladesh International Expo and the country's halal-industry expos run at venues such as the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) and the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. Dhaka is famously dense and traffic-heavy (and famous for its rickshaws), but the new Metro Rail (MRT Line 6) and the Uber/Pathao ride-hailing apps now make getting around far more predictable than it used to be.

Karachi

Pakistan

Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and commercial capital, is one of the simplest places in the world for a Muslim business traveller: the country is overwhelmingly Muslim, so food is halal by default (no pork, and alcohol is not served in ordinary restaurants), and the call to prayer marks the working day. It is a major host for food and halal trade shows such as FoodAg Pakistan and the Pakistan Halal Expo, with the venues a short ride from the airport and the main hotel districts. The city is huge and car-oriented, so the easiest way to get around is the Careem, inDrive or Bykea ride-hailing apps.

Almaty

Kazakhstan

Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, sits against the Tian Shan mountains in a Muslim-majority country, so much of the food is halal, mosques are plentiful (including the Almaty Central Mosque), and prayer is part of daily life. The city has a metro line, buses and an easy ride-hailing scene (Yandex Go and inDrive).

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is one of the easiest cities in the world for a Muslim business traveller: it is a Muslim-majority country, so food is halal by default in mainstream restaurants (no pork outside clearly-marked sections, and alcohol is served only in licensed hotel venues), and the adhan is heard across the city. It is a major host for food and halal trade shows — SIAL Middle East, the Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition (ADIFE) and related expos run at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), the largest exhibition venue in the region, just a short drive from the airport. English is spoken everywhere, the city is modern and orderly, and getting around is simple by cheap metered taxi or ride-hailing app — there is no metro yet.

Doha

Qatar

Doha, the Qatari capital, is one of the most comfortable cities in the world for a Muslim business traveller: Qatar is a Muslim-majority Gulf state, so all food is halal by default (no pork, and alcohol is tightly restricted), the call to prayer marks the day, and mosques are everywhere. For anyone in town for the Qatar Halal Expo, getting around is easy — the modern driverless Doha Metro (opened 2019) plus the Karwa taxi fleet and the Uber/Careem apps cover the compact city.

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Dubai is one of the easiest cities anywhere for a Muslim traveller. The UAE is a Muslim-majority country, so halal food is the norm rather than the exception, mosques and prayer rooms are everywhere (including every mall, metro station and the airport), and prayer times are widely observed. English is universal, and the Metro plus ride-hailing make getting to venues like the Dubai World Trade Centre and Expo City simple.

Cairo

Egypt

Cairo is one of the easiest cities anywhere for a Muslim business traveller: Egypt is overwhelmingly Muslim, so food is halal by default (no pork in mainstream kitchens) and mosques are on almost every street, with the adhan carrying across the city five times a day. The historic Al-Azhar quarter and Khan el-Khalili bazaar sit at the spiritual and commercial heart of the old city, while the Cairo Metro plus the Uber and Careem ride apps make the sprawling capital manageable between expo sessions.

Casablanca

Morocco

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and economic capital — a busy Atlantic port and business hub, and the country's main trade-fair city, where food and halal expos are held at the OFEC exhibition grounds (Foire Internationale de Casablanca). Morocco is a Muslim-majority country, so unlike France or the Netherlands you do not need to hunt for halal: all commercially slaughtered meat is halal and effectively every restaurant serves halal food by default, from medina grills to modern cafés. The city's landmark is the vast Hassan II Mosque on the seafront — one of the largest mosques in the world and, unusually, one of the few in Morocco open to non-Muslim guided tours. Getting around is straightforward: a modern tramway crosses the city, and an ONCF train links the airport to the centre. One thing to plan for: the Moroccan dirham is a closed currency you can only get inside the country, so exchange on arrival.

Istanbul

Türkiye

Istanbul is one of the most comfortable cities in the world for a Muslim traveller. Türkiye is Muslim-majority, so halal food is the norm, the call to prayer sounds across the city, and historic mosques — the Blue Mosque, Süleymaniye, Hagia Sophia — double as living places of worship. Straddling Europe and Asia, the city is served by metro, trams and ferries, all on a single Istanbulkart.

London

United Kingdom

London is one of the easiest Western cities for a Muslim business traveller: its large, long-established Muslim community means halal food is everywhere and prayer space is rarely far away. Whole districts — Whitechapel, Edgware Road, Southall and Green Street — run on halal kitchens, and the city hosts several halal expos and food festivals each year. Getting around is simple on the Underground, buses and rail using a contactless card or phone.

Paris

France

Paris is one of the world's biggest food-trade-show cities — SIAL Paris (held every two years at the vast Parc des Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte) is among the largest food exhibitions on earth, and the city also hosts halal-focused and food expos at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the Palais Brongniart and the Paris-Le Bourget exhibition centre. France is home to the largest Muslim population in Western Europe, so halal food is widely available and a mosque is never far away — but France is a secular, non-Muslim-majority country, so unlike the Gulf you choose halal-certified or Muslim-owned restaurants rather than assuming every place is halal, and alcohol is served everywhere. Getting around is easy and cheap: the Métro, RER and tram network is dense, and the same RER B line links both Charles de Gaulle airport and the Villepinte exhibition halls to the centre.

Rotterdam

Netherlands

Rotterdam is the Netherlands' second city and the largest port in Europe — a modern, multicultural city of bold architecture rebuilt after WWII, and the host of Western Europe's growing halal trade shows at Rotterdam Ahoy, the big convention and arena complex in the south of the city. It is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country: large Turkish, Moroccan and Surinamese communities mean halal food, butchers and mosques are easy to find, and the Netherlands' biggest mosque (the Essalam Mosque) sits in Rotterdam-Zuid. Like the rest of the Netherlands, it is a secular, non-Muslim-majority country — so you choose halal-certified or Muslim-owned places rather than assuming, and alcohol is served everywhere — but doing so is straightforward here. Getting around is quick and cheap: a fast intercity train links Amsterdam Schiphol airport to Rotterdam Centraal in well under an hour, and the city's RET metro runs straight to the Ahoy halls.

Johannesburg

South Africa

Johannesburg — 'Joburg' or 'Jozi' — is South Africa's largest city and economic engine, a high-altitude business hub on the Highveld and the country's main centre for halal trade. Halal expos and summits are held at the big Nasrec / Johannesburg Expo Centre in the south and at the upscale Sandton Convention Centre in the north. South Africa has a long-established Muslim community of Indian and Cape Malay heritage, so halal food is widely available and very well certified — by national bodies like SANHA and NIHT — and there are halal-dense neighbourhoods such as Fordsburg, Mayfair, Houghton and Lenasia. The largest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere, the Ottoman-style Nizamiye, sits just north in Midrand. Two practical things to plan for: Joburg is car-dependent, so you move by Gautrain, Uber or Bolt rather than on foot, and crime is genuinely high — easy to manage with sensible habits, but not to be ignored.

Lagos

Nigeria

Lagos is Nigeria's commercial capital and the largest city in Africa — a vast, fast, entrepreneurial megacity and the main trade gateway to West Africa, where halal and food expos are held at venues like the Landmark Event Centre and the Eko Hotel & Suites Convention Centre, both on Victoria Island. Nigeria is religiously mixed — roughly half Muslim, with a strong Muslim presence in Lagos and the wider southwest — so halal food is readily found through Muslim-owned and Lebanese/Middle-Eastern restaurants, especially on Victoria Island and in Lekki, though it isn't a blanket default the way it is in the Gulf or Morocco. Two realities to plan around: the traffic (Lagos 'go-slow' is legendary, so allow generous time and use ride-hailing), and power (grid supply is unreliable, so hotels and venues run on their own generators). Stay in the business districts — Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Lekki — and a trip here is energetic and rewarding.

Chicago

United States

Chicago has one of the largest and most established Muslim communities in the United States, so halal food is easy to find — from Devon Avenue to the southwest suburbs — and there are many mosques plus prayer/meditation rooms at both airports. The CTA "L" trains and buses, on a single Ventra card, make getting around the city straightforward.

São Paulo

Brazil

São Paulo is home to the largest Arab diaspora in the Americas, and Brazil is one of the world's biggest exporters of halal meat — so halal-certified food is genuinely easy here, alongside Lebanese and Syrian classics like esfiha and kibbeh. The city has historic mosques, including Mesquita Brasil. Traffic is heavy, so lean on the Metrô, CPTM trains and ride-hailing apps.

Toronto

Canada

Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world and home to a large Muslim community, so halal food is easy to find across many neighbourhoods, mosques are plentiful, and there are prayer spaces at Pearson Airport. June is mild and pleasant. The TTC and ride-hailing make getting around straightforward.