The UAE's role as a “trendsetter” in the global battle to find innovative ways to produce food in regions with a low supply of fresh water is in the spotlight at the Munich Security Conference.
Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri said the issue of water scarcity was not a hindrance but had spurred the Emirates to use its natural resources — the sun, the sand and the sea — to experiment with new ways to produce food.
In a session titled “Seed Change Needed: Ensuring Food Security” at the conference on Friday, Ms Almheiri said the UAE has “really doubled up on investments in [research and development] because we believe this is also the way to go".
“The UAE is known as a country that imports most of its food. We are a water scarce country, we have less than 5 per cent arable land,” she said.
“And when I took to the position of Minister of State for Food Security in 2017, our leadership said to me, focus on a plan, focus on technology and innovation and focus on research and development.
“We see us a little bit of a trendsetter. We also feel very responsible as global citizens to invest money and look for solutions that work in our environment.”
She said the UAE is keen to use the natural resources it has to help the drive to find new ways to produce food.
The minister stressed the central role consumers have to play when it comes to improving food systems at home and overseas, particularly when it comes to avoiding waste.
“Each and every one of us have a huge role to play. And I often set challenges for my own team and my own family as well.
“I say, let's try and not put any edible food in the bin. You have to think about it. You really have to think about what you're doing because sometimes you're doing it without realising it.”
Ms Almheiri said she and her colleagues are working to encourage young Emiratis to venture into the agricultural sector.
“I don't call them farmers anymore. I give them a new name: agri-technologists, because we need to make this a cool thing to do.”
She said farming technology that has proved successful in the UAE has made its way to other Gulf nations.
“We've seen now a lot of companies that have set up in the UAE three four years ago using some innovation funds and are now going into neighbouring countries to help them as technology providers on how to grow food.”
Werner Baumann, chief executive of German pharmaceutical giant Bayer, said climate change is a “massive contributor” to the growing problem of food insecurity.
“We see massive changes in arable land and the lack thereof, we see massive pressure on ecosystems,” he said.
This means the global community has to “find better solutions that give us a more climate resilient type of agriculture where we bring people who are the ones most exposed into the capacity to care for themselves and their family’s livelihood with better tools, better knowledge, and also access to finance and a few other things".
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Always use only regulated platforms
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
SPECS
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MATCH INFO
Argentina 47 (Tries: Sanchez, Tuculet (2), Mallia (2), De La Fuente, Bertranou; Cons: Sanchez 5, Urdapilleta)
United States 17 (Tries: Scully (2), Lasike; Cons: MacGinty)
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
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- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
Flying
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Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Sterling 46', De Bruyne 65', Gundogan 70')
Aston Villa 0
Red card: Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
