UAE Looks To Agritech To Ease Food-Security Concerns

SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - SEPTEMBER 25: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) An employee at Veggitech checks on kale grown using vertical farming techniques in a Veggitech high tech greenhouse on September 25, 2023 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Formed in 2021, Veggitech is an Agro technology start up focused on sustainable food production. The company uses a sophisticated light assisted Hydroponics system paired with vertical farming to grow more than 60 different vegetables, including leafy vegetables and herbs, in their high tech greenhouses. As a desert nation with significant water scarcity, the UAE is currently reliant on imports for over 80% of its food. But, as part of its National Food Security Strategy 2051, the country is making substantial investments in food-tech and agricultural technology, with a goal of tripling domestic food production. This year, Emirates Development Bank, a state-owned lender that provides financing to the UAE's priority sectors, has introduced an Agriculture Technology Loans program, earmarking Dh100 million ($27.2 million) in financial support for the nation's food-security sector. While the primary aim of this initiative is to bolster the country's food security in a climate-stressed region, the investments have the potential to make the UAE a leader in agricultural innovation. (Photo by Andrea DiCenzo/Getty Images)