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The Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs announced in September 2026 that Qatar had approved imports of Korean hanwoo becoming the third halal market after Malaysia in 2023 and the United Arab Emirates in 2025. Hoengseong County reported that 80.8 kilograms of chilled boneless beef from a halal-certified facility departed for Doha on Oct. 13 aboard a commercial flight accompanied by a ceremony at the Hoengseong KC processing plant. The consignment meets joint sanitary conditions that require natural aging after slaughter and removal of byproducts such as offal head feet and tail to address foot-and-mouth disease concerns while satisfying Qatar’s halal standards.
According to the ministry negotiations opened after a working-level meeting in April 2026 between the South Korean Embassy in Qatar and Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health during which the Qatari side expressed openness to boneless hanwoo. Qatar registered South Korea as an eligible supplier in August and confirmed completion of all procedures in early September paving the way for the inaugural shipment by Hoengseong KC which operates the certified slaughterhouse and processing line. The ministry indicated it will monitor market response to the initial delivery before advancing talks on bone-in cuts including short ribs known locally as galbi.
Observatory of Economic Complexity figures show South Korea exported $689 million in goods to Qatar in 2024 with heating machinery and similar industrial products forming a substantial share of non-energy flows. In the reverse direction Trading Economics data places South Korea’s imports from Qatar at $9.92 billion in 2025 of which mineral fuels accounted for $9.4 billion underscoring the heavy energy dependence that the new beef trade seeks to balance. The addition of premium hanwoo aligns with broader efforts to deepen commercial ties in food and agriculture sectors.
An IMARC Group assessment found Qatar’s overall meat market stood at $2.95 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $3.47 billion by 2034 growing at a compound annual rate of 1.81 percent amid rising demand for high-quality protein. IndexBox data places Qatar’s beef imports at roughly 24 000 tons in a recent year contributing to a GCC total exceeding 400 000 tons with the UAE and Saudi Arabia as the largest buyers. Hanwoo is positioned to appeal to luxury hotels restaurants and affluent consumers seeking certified alternatives to established suppliers.
Hoengseong County stated that the Oct. 13 export followed a business agreement between Hoengseong KC and Qatari distributor The Meat Market that emerged from earlier promotion attempts tied to Ramadan events. The county has invested more than 2.6 billion Korean won since 2010 to upgrade facilities and maintain its quality certification system supporting consistent supply for international markets. Additional promotional steps include a tasting and butchery demonstration scheduled for Oct. 18 at The Meat Market for chefs influencers and stakeholders as well as a display at a Korean National Day reception on Oct. 19 attended by Qatari officials.
The ministry has pursued comparable market openings with the UAE receiving an initial 1.5 tons of chilled and frozen hanwoo in October 2025 while Malaysia has imported the product since 2023. These steps form part of a strategy to tap the 1.9 billion-consumer halal market where demand for premium certified beef continues to expand according to earlier ministry statements on the UAE launch. Industry representatives view the Qatari entry as a foundation for further growth across Gulf Cooperation Council states where import reliance remains high.
