Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed has toured a high-tech vertical farm in the heart of the Dubai desert which can produce more than 1,000 tonnes of leafy greens each year.
The Crown Prince of Dubai said the three-hectare farm, operated by Emirates Flight Catering, highlighted the emirate's vision to harness smart technology to bolster food security.
Bustanica, the Arabic word for your garden or orchard, spans three floors on a site near Al Maktoum International Airport. It produces four varieties of lettuce, kale and spinach.
There are plans to grow fruits and vegetables in the future.
The forward-thinking project is a joint venture between Emirates and Crop One, a firm specialising in technology-driven indoor vertical farming.
Emirates said it was the largest such farm in the world.
“I visited Bustanica Farm in Dubai, the world's largest vertical hydroponic-based farm, which was opened by Emirates Airlines backed by an investment of Dh150m,” Sheikh Hamdan tweeted.
“The opening of Bustanica Farm in Dubai reflects [Vice President and Dubai Ruler Sheikh] Mohammed bin Rashid's vision to employ the latest smart technology and adopt advanced technologies in the implementation of agricultural projects to achieve food security and self-sufficiency of our needs.”
The plants are grown using hydroponic methods, which does not use soil and requires 70 to 90 per cent less water than conventional farming.
Vertical farming is the name given to the technique that layers crops on top of each other to make full potential of the available space.
The method is widely regarded as a solution to the long-standing problem of being able to find farming space in expanding urban regions, as well as providing farming facilities in climates where it would not have traditionally been possible.
“We will continue launching new initiatives that apply modern farming techniques to accelerate self-sufficiency in fresh food produce and support sustainability, which is a top priority for us,” added Sheikh Hamdan, in a statement released by Dubai Media Office.
“The Dubai Food Security Committee constantly reviews current opportunities and challenges within the framework of the national food security strategy.
"Our plans for enhancing self-sufficiency in the agricultural sector by supporting the use of technologies and applied research in food processing and agriculture are focused on meeting the current and future needs of Dubai’s citizens and residents.”
Inside Emirates' Bustanica vertical farm - in pictures
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
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
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
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LEADERBOARD
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