Agriculture & Food

The authorities in Abu Dhabi are seeking to develop the local agriculture and food-processing sector as part of wider efforts to improve food security and diversify the economy, with the emirate now emerging as an important regional food-processing center. Dates are Abu Dhabi’s most important crop and largest agricultural export by value, while there were 31 commercial livestock farms operating in Abu Dhabi in 2014, up from 26 a year before. Meanwhile, consumption of local produce grew at a compound annual growth rate of 28.4% between 2010 and 2013 in terms of volume, compared to 7.9% for the market as a whole.