An Egyptian company has teamed up with a Saudi start-up to bring sustainable farming practices to the kingdom.
Schaduf, a hydroponic farming business in Cairo, and Mishkat, a Saudi Arabian agritech company, will grow dozens of varieties of produce in the kingdom, strengthening the country's food security by decreasing reliance on imports.
Schaduf was the first company to introduce vertical gardens — plants that are attached with special materials and a built-in automatic irrigation system — to the Egyptian market and has expanded to neighbouring Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia.
“We want Cairo, and all cities in the Arab World to be ideal sustainable cities, to ease the process of growing organic and reusing minimal amounts of water to grow their products,” said Sherif Hosny, vice president of Schaduf.
We want Cairo, and all cities in the Arab World to be ideal sustainable cities, to ease the process of growing organic and reusing minimal amounts of water to grow their products
Sherif Hosny,
Schaduf
“We currently have a partner in Saudi Arabia, Mishkat, and we have been working together on organic hydroponic, vegetables and tomatoes in the middle of the desert in extreme weather.
“Using these kinds of technologies here in Saudi Arabia makes a lot of sense.”
After its establishment in 2017, Mishkat opened Naeem Farms, Saudi Arabia's first certified organic hydroponic farm.
“Once the greenhouse was built and the production facilities were up and running, we focused on collating organic seeds from the best providers in the world and tried many different seeds and variations to get to the ones that actually work the best for the environment here,” said Fadi Ghalayini, vice president of business development at Mishkat.
This week, the kingdom's Public Investment Fund and US sustainable agriculture company AeroFarms signed a joint-venture agreement to build indoor vertical farms in the kingdom and the wider Middle East and North Africa region.
Schaduf is an Arabic word that describes an ancient agricultural tool used to lift water from the Nile in low tide.
“It's one of the first irrigation tools in the world and had a huge impact on Egyptian civilisation,” Mr Hosny said. “We still use it in Egypt today.”
How does hydroponic farming work?
Hydroponic farming saves up to 80 per cent of the water typically used in standard methods, Mr Hosny said.
By removing soil from the process and placing the roots directly in nutrient-rich water, food can be grown in almost any controlled environment. This allows precise adjustments to important growing factors while using 70 to 90 per cent less water than conventional farming.
The word “hydroponic” is of Greek origin — “hydro” meaning “water” and “ponic” meaning “work”.
This method of farming, the water can be reused by pumping it back into the aquifer, the underground layer of water-bearing rocks in the soil.
Hydroponic oases in Saudi Arabia's deserts
In 2020, Saudi Arabia announced two initiatives worth 2.5 billion riyals ($665 million) to support farmers and enable food imports in an effort to bolster the country's food security.
“One of the sectors that we were looking into to provide business solutions for was agriculture, to consolidate Saudi Arabia's food security goals,” said Fares Bardeesi, founder and managing partner at Sukna ventures, one of the co-founding companies of Mishkat.
“We only plant organic and non-GMO seeds,” said Mr Ghalayini.
The farm is only 40 minutes outside Jeddah and takes advantage of the kingdom's plentiful sunlight to provide organic and pesticide-free produce.
The farms source their water from wells or aquifers that hold water with higher than normal saline levels.
Saudi Arabia receives more than half of its water through desalination methods and continues to invest significant resources in trying to make these more efficient.
The kingdom now has one of the world's largest seawater desalination plants, the Al Jubeil plant, which produces 1.4 million cubic metres a day.
“The water that we use has some salinity, so we do apply desalination methods,” Mr Ghalayini said.
The two companies are seeking to spread the message of sustainable farming by hosting workshops for farmers and schoolchildren at their greenhouses.
“It is important to provide local farmers and future agro-entrepreneurs, both economical and environmentally-beneficial solutions for a future that's food secure and more mindful of our already scarce water resources,” said Mr Bardeesi.
One of the major drawbacks of hydroponic farming, however, is that only a handful of crops can be successfully grown using the technique.
“There are limitations to hydroponics — it's more usually suited for leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers for now,” said Mr Ghalayini.
The organic greens are quite affordable too, competing with other organic produce in the market in price. A 250g pack of wild arugula sells for 13 rials.
Mr Hosny believes the greatest benefit of this farming technique is improving water security in an arid climate.
“By recirculating the water, both Schaduf and Mishkat have been able to decrease their water consumption by up to 80 per cent,” he said.
Water resources in the Middle East are becoming increasingly scarce, having diminished over the decades due to the region's arid climate.
Rising global temperatures and drought are putting food security in peril, with Unicef identifying the Middle East and North Africa as the most water-scarce region in the world in 2021.
Countries reliant on fresh water have seen their rivers dry up or have had to contend with political water-sharing problems, in a region where agriculture plays a crucial role in socio-economic life.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
MATCH INFO
Hoffenheim v Liverpool
Uefa Champions League play-off, first leg
Location: Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Kick-off: Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
