The new ‘aptech' park wants to establish the UAE as a hub for supplying high-growth markets across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The UAE's first fresh produce AgTech Park for sustainable food production and distribution has been opened by ADQ, one of the region's major holding firms.
The initiative in Al Ain Industrial City (AAIC) would also help the UAE establish itself as the region's top fresh produce growing hub, reducing the country's reliance on imported luxury foods. This location will improve the region's perishable commodities and food supply processing, storage, and distribution efficiency.
ADQ has formed relationships with three controlled-environment agri specialists to develop and run greenhouse facilities at the AgTech Park as part of the project.
“The project is a direct complement to our ongoing efforts to develop local food production using the most cutting-edge technologies to assure safe, healthy, and sufficient food all year,” said Gil Adotevi, Executive Director of Food and Agriculture at ADQ.
The 200-hectare AgTech Park is expected to produce 39 kilotons of fresh fruits and vegetables annually once it is operating, according to ADQ. Farmers and innovators will be able to plant high-quality, fresh produce, including nutritious fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices, thanks to a progressive tech-enabled infrastructure that will support large-scale, controlled-environment farming and R&D projects.
ADQ launched Silal a year ago to promote the UAE's broader food and agriculture sector, as well as local farmers.
“ADQ is proactively investing in transforming the UAE's agriculture sector into a prominent regional food hub, bolstering the country's food system's resilience,” said Mansour AlMulla, Group Chief Investment Officer at ADQ. “With a scalable, environmentally friendly AgTech Park, we will improve the availability of high-quality local products while harnessing technology to optimise the use of natural resources like water and protect the environment.”
Congratulation!