UAE Looks To Agritech To Ease Food-Security Concerns

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 02: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Leafy greens grown in Pure Harvest Smart Farms semi-automated advanced glasshouse on October 2, 2023 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Pure Harvest Smart Farms is one of the largest high-tech farming operation in the UAE and the Middle East. Using technology and advance techniques, the farm uses 95% less water than a traditional field farm. 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)