The UAE is continuing to establish a modern agricultural model that combines authentic heritage and advanced technologies

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the State, Deputy Prime Minister, Chief of the Presidential Cabinet, and His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Ain Region, witnessed the launch of the activities of the second edition of the UAE Agricultural Conference and Exhibition 2026, which will be held in the city of Al Ain during the period from April 22-26.

During the visit, Their Highnesses inspected the exhibition halls, where they were briefed on the latest findings in the field of modern agriculture, which enhances the efficiency of local agricultural production. The tour included a number of national company platforms that showcase innovative solutions to deal with climate challenges in the desert environment, and other companies specialized in advanced food industries, as part of the state’s efforts to establish a flexible agricultural model that adapts to environmental changes, which contributes to enhancing food security.

Their Highnesses also visited the university and start-up companies zones, where they viewed the most prominent projects concerned with empowering youth and encouraging them to innovate in the agricultural sector, the “private companies zone,” and the “government agencies zone” that provide initiatives and legislation that support farmers and develop the sector.

The tour included the “Farmers’ Market”, which displays the finest local crops, beekeepers’ products, and a wide range of date products. For the first time at the event, there are two corners dedicated to Emirati female farmers and child farmers inside the farmers’ market, in addition to the Halal Owners’ Tent, which displays for the first time the best breeds of livestock and fisheries stands.

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed that the agricultural sector in the UAE is witnessing qualitative development driven by the vision of the wise leadership, which places food security at the top of its priorities, noting that adopting modern agricultural technologies and promoting innovation contribute to raising the efficiency of agricultural production and achieving sustainability.

His Highness explained that supporting and empowering farmers represents a fundamental pillar in developing the national agricultural system, by providing a supportive environment that enhances the competitiveness of the local product in regional and international markets.

His Highness pointed out that the wide participation witnessed by the UAE Agricultural Conference and Exhibition reflects the growing interest in the agricultural sector in the country, and emphasizes the importance of partnership between government agencies, the private sector and academic institutions in building an integrated and sustainable agricultural model.

His Highness stressed that the UAE is continuing to establish a modern agricultural model that combines authentic agricultural heritage and advanced technologies, in a way that enhances food security and keeps pace with its ambitions for a more sustainable and prosperous future.

His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan also expressed his deep appreciation for these initiatives that contribute to the advancement of the UAE agricultural sector, diversify its sources and create the necessary incentives for farmers to develop their work methods, in line with the vision of the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him,” which places the agricultural sector among the investment and production priorities in the UAE, in a way that enhances food security and responds to the comprehensive development renaissance. In the UAE.

His Highness also noted the importance of involving young people in these initiatives, making them an effective force in sustainable development, and encouraging the adoption of the latest innovative technologies that ensure enhancing the competitiveness of this vital sector, its effective contribution to the economic cycle, finding effective solutions to various challenges, and transferring these practices to future generations.

During the opening speech of the conference, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahhak, officially announced the launch of the “UAE GAP” initiative.

She stressed that this initiative represents the true gateway and guarantee of the quality of national crops and their competitiveness in international markets.

Al-Dahhak revealed an ambitious strategic goal, which is the ministry’s endeavor to ensure that 80% of local farms obtain this international certificate, to unify the highest international standards of quality across all farms in the country.

She pointed out that the “UAE GAP” National Project Initiative comes to crown efforts to enhance sustainable food security for the UAE, by establishing national standards with international specifications that place the Emirati product at the forefront of competitiveness, and empower the citizen farmer to be an essential and effective partner in the process of sustainable development.

Al-Dahhak stressed that enhancing food security in the UAE represents a top strategic priority, noting that building a flexible and steadfast agricultural system is a practical and sustainable response to the accelerating global challenges and supply chain disruptions. She said: “Our national farms are the first line of defense for our food security, and the local product is the true guarantee of the stability of our markets and meeting the needs of our society with high efficiency in all circumstances.”

Al-Dahhak explained that artificial intelligence and data represent the language of the era that shapes the future of the agricultural sector in the country, as this technology has turned into a tool that ensures the sustainability of resources and raises production efficiency to unprecedented levels.

She added: We in the UAE do not just adopt technologies, but rather design our own innovative solutions that are compatible with the nature of our environment and our climate challenges, to confirm to the world our ability to transform challenges into development opportunities, and move from scarcity of resources to abundant production with the highest standards of sustainability.

The Minister stressed that the optimal use of modern technologies reflects the state’s ability to stay ahead of time to achieve its food targets, through qualitative leaps in reducing water consumption and doubling the productivity of the agricultural area.

The exhibition offers its visitors an integrated experience divided into 4 main tracks, including: the farmers track, the educational track, the community track, and the business and young entrepreneurs track.
On the cultural and societal level, the exhibition stands out as a platform of convergence between the wisdom of ancestors and the innovation of grandchildren, as it witnesses strong participation from 3 national universities and a wide group of school and university students, with the aim of linking scientific research, artificial intelligence, and data analysis to soil and agriculture. In addition, the event, through the “Community Corner,” provides interactive workshops to teach the basics of home farming and instill the values ​​of sustainability in children and all family members in a lovely way.