Focus Areas

Boosting Resilient Agriculture

Food and Water Security

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The U.A.E. is becoming a world leader in innovation-driven food security. Faced with an arid climate and unpredictable growing conditions, the U.A.E. has long been dependent on food imports to feed its population. Moreover, climate change and regional instability threaten the continued availability of fresh produce, meat, and grains.

In response, the U.A.E. enacted the National Strategy for Food Security 2051 and is developing a food security ecosystem where the private sector can invest in climate-smart technologies and practices. The U.A.E. seeks to become a global hub where companies, like Bustanica, can test out innovative techniques such as vertical farming. In addition to focusing on technological innovation, the U.A.E. is committed to bolstering food production and thus food security in the developing world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Given the expertise of American food producers, the U.A.E. has turned to the U.S. as a key partner in its work to not only provide abundant and nutritious food to its growing population, but also to advance innovative agtech solutions. The two countries have also partnered on agricultural innovation as part of the solution to climate change. U.A.E. Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, announced the Agricultural Innovation Mission for Climate during U.S. President Biden’s April 2021 Leaders Summit on Climate Change.

H.E. Mariam Almheiri, then-U.A.E. Minister of State for Food and Water Security, recognizing potential in U.S.-U.A.E. partnerships, worked with the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council to arrange for ten U.S. agtech companies to visit the U.A.E. for a series of ministerial and private sector meetings in February 2020. U.S. delegates included CEOs of vertical farms, shipping container farms, a blockchain livestock tracking company, and leading irrigation components producers. The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s Department of Commerce-certified mission paved the way for new U.S.-U.A.E. partnerships and built a foundation for continued cooperation involving both public and private sector stakeholders.

Building on the success of this mission, and recognizing the increasing importance of this sector to the U.A.E., the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council continues to strengthen bilateral partnerships in food and water security by advancing dialogue. The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is a long-standing collaboration and media partner at Gulfood, Gulfood Green, and WETEX. In November 2023, the Business Council hosted ADIO Director General Badr al Olama to preview forthcoming Abu Dhabi clusters, including the  AgriFood Growth & Water Abundance (AGWA) Cluster. The U.S.-U.A.E. published the policy report “The U.A.E.’s Food Security Mission” during the inaugural Global Food Security Summit, part of Global Food Week.

Key Institutions