Agriculture & Food Security

As a rising population continues to put upward pressure on demand for food, Abu Dhabi’s authorities are pursuing various initiatives to promote domestic production, both as a means of economic diversification and to further bolster food security, with various bodies responsible for the agricultural sector being established over the last 10 years. Although innovative solutions have increasingly started to come on-line in Abu Dhabi, particularly regarding water, the emirate’s desert climate presents significant barriers to large-scale agricultural expansion. As such, the bulk of the emirate’s foodstuffs continue to be sourced from abroad, with various strategic investments in recent years focused on diversifying Abu Dhabi’s international supply streams. Meanwhile, at home, investments in stockholding capacity are aiming to mitigate the short-term impact of potential disruptions to international supply, and a fast-growing agri-food and food-processing segment looks set to position the emirate as a leading regional player.