London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

How the Gulf is turning to technology to boost food security ambitions

How the Gulf is turning to technology to boost food security ambitions

Gulf policymakers are gearing up to increase domestic food production as coronavirus impacts international supply lines

In a region that imports most of its food, Gulf policymakers are gearing up to increase domestic production as coronavirus continues to disrupt international supply lines.

According to a UAE representative for the UK department of investment and trade (DIT), the pandemic has “hastened” the country’s focus on agritech.

“Since the pandemic, we have been fine-tuning our food strategy as we go along, including buying up [foreign] arable land and improving domestic production,” Adil Khan told delegates at London Tech Week.

“The UAE has the money, the vision, and the need to ramp up its food security policy,” Khan said.

In a global first, the UAE government appointed a food security minister in 2017. Pictured below, Mariam Al-Mheri’s goal is to increase domestic food production by 30 per cent by 2021 and give the local processing industry, which produces six million tonnes of food annually, the ability to triple output if needed.



Khan, who was speaking on a panel addressed to British agritech firms, urged global governments to "work in partnership" to share their food ambitions and needs. “There is a big opportunity for agri-tech in the UAE market,” he said.

The Gulf region, hamstrung by its unfavourable climate, scarce water, and limited arable land, imports around 85 percent of total food consumed, according to Alpen Capital’s GCC Food Report 2019.


Supercharging domestic farming


Agritech – a catch-all term which covers improving the productivity and sustainability of agriculture, horticulture, aqua culture and forestry – could be key to supercharging the region’s domestic farming capabilities amid the pandemic and beyond, say experts.


According to Elizabeth Warham, head of the DIT agritech team, UK businesses are particularly keen to extend “world-class science knowledge and progressive food and farming supply chain learnings” to the Gulf region.

Lorna Berdunova, who was recently appointed to a new post as Agriculture, Food and Drink Counsellor – Gulf Region at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), said Britain would be approaching the UAE through joint government conversations.


“We will be looking closely at market access and trade barriers, plus areas related to the growing interest in food security and new food tech,” Berdunova said.

In the five months since the Middle East’s first Covid-19 case was reported, Abu Dhabi has made several investments aimed at improving food security.

ADQ, an Abu Dhabi investment holding company, bought a 50 per cent stake in one of the region’s biggest agribusinesses, Al Dahra — which specialises in the production of animal feed, flour, fruits and vegetables.


Investing in farming techniques


Another government body entity, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, invested $100 million in four agritech companies to build facilities in the emirate, including indoor vertical farming firm AeroFarms.

Speaking on behalf of Kuwait, UK DIT officer Siraj Bhai said the emir state was moving rapidly towards investing in agritech. “Kuwait is investing heavily into controlled farming techniques, this has expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “Many supermarkets are going into partnerships with controlled farming partners to secure supply chains.”



Bhai highlighted food storage solutions, food waste management, recycling, packaging, agri-scaling and water conservation as priority needs within the Kuwait food sector. “We need realistic solutions for arid farming and improving the supply chain,” he said.

Ellis Emwanta, a UK DIT representative for Saudi Arabia, said the kingdom is investing in agritech to produce food locally.

“As one of the driest countries in the world, there are great opportunities in Saudi Arabia for vertical farming, animal genetics and water management – any technology that manages these is in demand,” he said.

Saudi Arabian government-owned food company Salic in May acquired a 30 per cent stake in Indian group Daawat Foods, as part of its strategy to secure rice supplies.

Last year, the kingdom invested $9 million in British agritech firm Hummingbird Technologies, which uses drones and AI to produce high-resolution maps that can help farmers forecast crop stress and predict yields.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
×