A competition introduced by the UAE to deliver high-tech solutions to pressing food security challenges facing the world is doubling its prize fund this year.
The second run of the FoodTech Challenge, which is aimed at early stage start-ups, will offer a prize pool of $2 million and a high-profile platform to turn ideas into reality.
It is seeking to attract entries related to managing food production, loss and waste to improve availability and sustainability.
Applications are welcome internationally from university-based research teams, individual entrepreneurs, small companies and others.
The first event was held in 2020, having been announced the previous year by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
“The importance of food security has never been more pertinent, with supply chain challenges and climate change disrupting the world as we know it,” said Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment for the UAE.
“The pressure is on for us to rethink food for the future, to rethink resilient agricultural practices, and to leverage the best of technological advancements in doing so.”
The challenge is organised by the ministry and Tamkeen, an Abu Dhabi company supporting the UAE's development of a knowledge-based economy.
They will work with local partners in the UAE to help develop the ideas.
Rima Al Mokarrab, chair of Tamkeen, said the second FoodTech Challenge will support the finalists end to end to develop their ideas.
“The second FoodTech Challenge is designed as a comprehensive initiative that ensures innovators are championed throughout the innovation cycle with everything from R & D support, licensing, market insights, access to capital, corporate partnership and more,” she said.
“To do so, each of our partners — Aspire, ADQ, Silal, the Emirates Foundation — plays a critical role in attracting, developing, and scaling innovation in UAE. Together, they present innovators with an unparalleled opportunity to develop and deploy tech-enabled solutions for our food security challenges at speed and at scale.”
Ms Al Mokarrab said food security is a complex challenge that cuts across borders and requires a collaborative approach.
“AI, robotics, low-cost sensors, the Internet of Things (IoT), and bioengineering — these are some of the key technologies transforming agricultural practices and the global food supply chain today.
“We are calling on innovators to leverage these technologies — and others — for the particular challenges faced by UAE, challenges, I might add, that are also shared by other countries with a similar climate and natural environment.
“The solutions to our challenges, ultimately, would also contribute to the global food security tool kit.”
Applications will remain open until June, when submissions will be shortlisted.
The top 10 teams will present their business cases at the Awarding Ceremony in November. Entrants can submit their applications via the challenge's website.
The first edition attracted 437 applications from across 68 countries.
The four winners, who were each awarded $100,000, included a start-up that produced a light-emitting device to help fishermen attract the right catch.
The UAE has embraced advanced technology as a key tool to bolstering food security.
Last May, Dubai unveiled a major new food technology hub set to act as a "global destination" for enterprising businesses and a key driver of the emirate's economy.
Sheikh Mohammed said Food Tech Valley would help further develop vertical farming and other advanced agriculture technologies and bolster the UAE's food security.
The state-of-the-art centre aims to triple the UAE's food production and make the country more self-sustainable.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
SPECS
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KOs)
Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
Height: 175cm
Reach: 173cm
Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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RESULTS
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
