Programme Objectives and Scope
The National Food Security Strategy 2051 addresses a fundamental vulnerability: the UAE imports approximately 90 percent of its food, making it heavily dependent on global supply chains and exposed to commodity price volatility, logistics disruptions, and geopolitical risk. The strategy targets a comprehensive transformation of the UAE’s food system across five pillars — enabling global trade in food, diversifying international food sources, developing domestic food production through technology, reducing food loss and waste, and enhancing nutrition and food safety standards. The long-term vision is to position the UAE as the global benchmark for food security in arid environments, leveraging advanced agricultural technology to overcome natural resource constraints.
Key Targets and KPIs
The strategy targets achieving the top position in the Economist’s Global Food Security Index by 2051. Interim KPIs include increasing the share of domestically produced food, reducing food waste by 50 percent, diversifying import sources to reduce dependence on any single supplier, expanding controlled-environment agriculture capacity (vertical farms, greenhouses, aquaponics), and developing strategic food reserves. Specific production targets have been set for key commodities including vegetables, fish, dates, and poultry, with emphasis on crops and proteins that can be produced efficiently in arid conditions using desalinated water and renewable energy.
Implementation Status and Progress
Significant investments have been made in controlled-environment agriculture, with the UAE now hosting some of the world’s largest vertical farming operations, including facilities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that produce leafy greens, herbs, and vegetables year-round. The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has expanded aquaculture operations and supported date palm cultivation and livestock breeding programmes. The UAE’s strategic food reserves have been strengthened following supply chain lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Food Tech Valley initiative in Dubai provides a dedicated ecosystem for food technology start-ups and research. International supply chain diversification has progressed, with new bilateral food trade agreements signed with India, Brazil, and several African nations.
Lead and Supporting Institutions
The Office of the Minister of State for Food and Water Security provides federal coordination. The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) is the largest sub-national implementing body. The Emirates Food Security Council coordinates across federal and emirate entities. Supporting institutions include the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) in Dubai, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), which has attracted major agritech companies to establish operations in the UAE. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives supports food security research through grant programmes.
Relationship to We the UAE 2031 Pillars
Food security is a cross-cutting priority under We the UAE 2031. It directly supports the sustainability pillar through efficient resource use and climate-resilient agriculture. It intersects with the economy pillar through the development of a domestic agritech industry and food processing sector that contribute to GDP diversification. The society pillar benefits from improved nutrition standards and food safety. The global engagement pillar is supported by the UAE’s leadership in international food security forums and its role as a logistics hub connecting global food supply chains.
Funding and Resource Allocation
Abu Dhabi has allocated billions in agricultural investment through ADAFSA and ADIO incentive programmes for agritech companies. The Emirates Food Security Council channels federal funding to strategic reserve management and food trade infrastructure. Dubai’s Food Tech Valley has attracted private investment in food technology R&D. The Abu Dhabi government’s co-investment programmes with international agritech firms include subsidised land, water, and energy for controlled-environment agriculture facilities. Total public and private investment in the food security programme ecosystem is estimated in the low tens of billions of dirhams since strategy launch.