H.E. Abdulla bin Touq al-Marri, the UAE’s Minister of Economy, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to transforming its food and agriculture industry in order to increase its GDP contribution by US$10 billion and generate 20,000 jobs over the next five years. He also unveiled the seven key pillars of the strategic direction needed to accomplish this goal.
Seven Pillars for Transforming the UAE’s Food and Agriculture Landscape
The main strategies include establishing a UAE-first culture and food supply chain, localizing innovation, and giving farmers the support and tools they need to become world leaders in agri-food innovation and sustainability.
H.E. Al Marri, who closed the fifth Future Food Forum, complimented the nation’s F&B sector endeavors in skill development and digital infrastructure capabilities attained via various programs to transform how they produce, distribute, and consume food in the region and globally.
He praised the UAE Food Platform’s (introduced at the Forum) capacity to facilitate public-private collaboration in food security and optimize the F&B ecosystem with digital infrastructures to drive sector growth and draw investments and trade prospects.
The two-day conferences on September 20 and 21, held at the Le Meridian Dubai Hotel, focused on the future of the industry as well as the expanding importance of the food industry to the economy and well-being of the UAE.
According to H.E Al Marri, the UAE is currently placing great importance on food security due to its increasing population. In fact, the country has performed admirably in this area and was ranked at the top of the global food security index for 2022 when compared to other countries in the Middle East and Africa region. However, it is important to acknowledge that there are genuine and immediate challenges facing the UAE in terms of ensuring a stable food supply during these uncertain times.
According to him, the first pillar involves localizing the next generation of agri-disruptors and developing them into world leaders by fostering local talent and innovation and identifying and promoting the solutions of the future.
Second, by elevating the UAE to a leading global regulatory nation, they hope to guarantee that their goods meet better standards and are well-known around the world.
Thirdly, encouraging a UAE-first culture that prioritizes domestic production and lessens reliance on imports will help the entire food value chain. Meanwhile, the fourth pillar remains crucial in terms of providing adequate funds to industry participants.
The fifth pillar focuses on encouraging innovation, which is the foundation of advancement, through top-tier R&D innovation. The sixth and seventh involve, respectively, enabling participants to diversify and access new markets and developing the following generation of farmers.
Takeaways
The UAE is poised to significantly transform its food and agriculture sector. H.E. Abdulla bin Touq al-Marri has outlined a strategic plan based on seven pillars, including localizing innovation and fostering a UAE-first culture. The country’s role in global food logistics and trade is growing rapidly, reflecting its commitment to food security and sustainability.
