Mohammed Bin Rashid launches national programme ‘Plant the UAE’ fulfilling Zayed's will
- 06 Oct 2024
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter / WAM
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced the launch of the national programme 'Plant the UAE'.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the "Plant the Emirates" national programme. The programme comprises several initiatives that align with the UAE’s vision to advance agricultural development and boost sustainable national food security.
The announcement was made during the UAE Cabinet meeting held in Al Marmoom, Dubai. The meeting was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence; and Lt. General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of the Interior.
Sheikh Mohammed said, “Today we launched a national programme to revitalise and boost the agricultural sector in the UAE, during a Cabinet meeting at Al Marmoom farms.”
This initiative is intended to perpetuate the will of the late Sheikh Zayed, who was instrumental in greening the UAE through the promotion of agriculture.
Earlier, Sheikh Mohamed, via the X platform, said, “My fellow citizens, the national programme, which was launched today, is designed to stimulate and invigorate the agricultural sector in the UAE. This initiative was unveiled at an extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet at Al Marmoom Farms.”
“Agriculture in the UAE is Sheikh Zayed’s legacy. It is a pillar of security, sustainability, and prosperity for this cherished land. We call on everyone to join this national project with ideas, initiatives, and by spreading the culture of agriculture. The seeds we plant today will flourish for generations to come,” Sheikh Mohammed explained.
The Plant the Emirates programme supports the UAE's vision to advance agriculture development and achieve sustainable national food security. It aims to encourage local community members to practice domestic agriculture by cultivating key agricultural products at home, expand green spaces in the country, support environment protection efforts, and make the UAE agricultural products a synonym for quality and high nutritional value. The programme also coincides with the "Year of Sustainability 2024" and supports enhancing the environment sustainability ecosystem through enhancing local products' effective contribution to reducing the carbon footprint, through the promotion of fresh, locally produced agricultural products.
The national programme partners with all federal and local government entities, municipalities’ teams, private sector organisations, and community members. The programme is launching national campaigns, events, exhibitions and seasonal markets to display and market crops and agricultural products under a unified identity. It will also organise volunteer programmes and competitions for students and the public, launch the World's Coolest Winter campaign under the slogan of “Green Tourism”, and offer advisory and specialised programmes and services for farmers and the private sector. The programme will hold events that encourage smart agricultural practices and the use of groundbreaking agriculture technologies and trends.
