ADAFSA to introduce diversified agri opportunities in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has launched the Agricultural Investment Guide 2021-2022 to introduce the diversified investment opportunities available in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and provide guidance on how to benefit from them, to achieve added value to the economy and investors.

The guide is a road map to explore the agricultural market in Abu Dhabi, identify the investment opportunities, and all enablers that make Abu Dhabi the best place for an ambitious investment partnership with the government sector, in addition to that, it is a link to the most prominent investments in the agricultural and food sector needed by the local market, where Abu Dhabi’s remarkable growth in all sectors continues to ensure sustained economic growth.

Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General of ADAFSA, said, “We at Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority are always striving towards achieving leadership and innovation in agricultural investments to ensure sustainable agricultural and food development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

“Also, we are keen to strengthen our relations with all stakeholders interested to contribute to the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector in Abu Dhabi that meet the aspirations of our wise leadership and reach new levels of excellence.” Al Ameri added in the introduction to the guide, “Over the past few decades, Abu Dhabi has witnessed rapid economic developments that have changed its features in a remarkable way, thanks to the insightful vision of the wise leadership and the guiding principles developed by UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which made human well-being and improving the quality of life the top priorities.” He stated that ADAFSA upon the guidance and direction of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and ADAFSA Chairman, has developed the agricultural investment guide as a manual that enables investors to identify the diversified investment opportunities available in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and how to benefit from them in addition to presetting the advantages and incentives for investment activities in order to attract and localise foreign direct investments.

Al Ameri stressed that ADAFSA’s keenness to stimulate local and foreign capital investment into projects that will enhance food security, agriculture sustainability, food manufacturing, logistics services and build a strong partnership with the private sector to establish local integrated industries that are capable to compete on a local, regional and international level.

The guide aims at presenting a package of incentives to all those looking for real investment opportunities in the agricultural sector and food manufacturing in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as well as providing all needed information to investors on the available investment opportunities, and ADAFSA’s strategic partners. Moreover, the guide presents some of the facts and accomplishments achieved by Abu Dhabi lately that became the pillars to stimulate agriculture investment in the Emirate making Abu Dhabi the ideal place to incubate, develop and expand businesses and investment activities.

During 2020 and 2021, ADAFSA has succeeded in building many investment partnerships which resulted in the approval 13 investment projects in animal production, AgTech and fisheries with an estimated value of AED1.2 billion.

The guide highlighted the fact that due to the insightful vision of the leadership; the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has succeeded in placing itself at the forefront of global competitiveness indicators in many sectors, especially in the agricultural and food sectors, and strengthening UAE’s leading position as a regional destination for investment.

The Agricultural Investment Guide 2021-2022 presents a package of investment opportunities offered to investors locally and internationally in four major sectors, including 54 investment areas for various projects in plant production, animal and fish farming, as well as food manufacturing and logistics projects. These opportunities aim at ensuring the sustainability of agricultural and food investments, reducing investment risk, attracting domestic and foreign direct investments that help localise modern technology in the agriculture sector. The guide provides 13 investment areas in the plant production sector, 9 in the animal production and fish farming sector, in addition to 12 in the food manufacturing and 21 in the logistics sector serving the agriculture and food production sector.

Furthermore, the guide illustrates the investors’ journey, on how to establish a successful partnership with the Authority and how to benefit from the incentives offered, such as Musataha contracts and lease agreements, in addition to other benefits offered from its strategic partners, Abu Dhabi Investment Office as an example, which facilitates long-term projects that benefit both investors and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

WAM