Abu Dhabi will be building the largest indoor farm in the world in an effort to bolster the UAE’s food security.
GreenFactory Emirates, a joint venture between GrowGroup IFS from Barendrecht (The Netherlands) and RainMakers Capital Investment LLC in Abu Dhabi, will produce 10,000 tonnes of fresh produce every year on a huge 17.5 hectare plot with a cultivation area of 160,000 square metres.
A joint statement issued by the two companies stated that the project is a combination of vertical and flat farming and solves the normal cultivation restrictions due to extreme climates in regions like the UAE.
There will be a number of leading agro-technological companies involved in the construction of the facility with each component sourced through top-tier Dutch companies.
"The private sector play a vital role in the transition towards more sustainable food systems. Private sector organisations have entrepreneurial traits that drive innovation. They possess the qualities necessary to disrupt existing non-sustainable agricultural systems,” said Her Excellency Mariam Bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, UAE Minister Of State For Food Security.
Her Excellency Almheiri added: ”The UAE is applying concerted efforts to improve its domestic production of food, with agricultural technology – ‘AgTech’ - having a hugely important role to play.”
“In fact, key targets of the government’s National Food Security strategy launched in November 2018 are to generate a 30 percent yield improvement from technology-enabled production and for the UAE to become a world-leading hub in innovation-driven food security by 2051. Indoor farms such as GreenFactory Emirates are instrumental in helping us reach these goals."
Phase one of GreenFactory Emirates will be operational prior to Expo 2020 Dubai, which starts in October 2021. The innovative indoor farm will be showcased at the global event.