ABU DHABI // Investment in agricultural technology and training, and changing dietary habits would help to improve food security in the region, experts say.
Ayesha Al Blooshi, director of marine biodiversity at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, cautioned against reliance on food imports such as cereals and sweeteners, “all the things we can’t produce”.
“We need to go back to a very natural way of living. Our ancestors used to eat what was available. We were very reliant on fish,” she said.
The authorities responsible for food security in the emirate need to better plan agricultural resources, she said, citing the use of aquaponics.
Aquaponics uses waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic creatures to supply the nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water.
According to the agency, 72 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s water comes from groundwater, 21 per cent from desalination, and 7 per cent from treated wastewater.
Half of the groundwater is used for agriculture, which produces only 13 per cent of the emirate’s food supply.
“What a lack of efficiency,” Ms Al Blooshi said. “We should invest in technologies and training people because there’s such a high turnover here. The solutions are at our fingertips, they just need to be done.”
Meanwhile, dietary habits are in need of change, according to Dr Najib Saab, the secretary general of the Arab forum for environment and development in Lebanon.
Citing Egyptians as an example, he said they should rethink their desire to eat rice every day, and find alternatives that required less water to produce.
“They should shift a few days a week to fish and chicken instead of meat, of which most is imported,” he said.
Indeed, changes in dietary habits have led to food insecurity in some countries.
Dr Nahla Hwalla, dean of the agricultural and food sciences faculty at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, said many countries were lacking in traditional diets, which were more balanced.
Regional cooperation was crucial in bolstering food security through research and increasing the capacity to produce food, she said.
“We have the best strategies for food security in the world, but implementation needs the human element, which is segregated in different disciplines. So we have to put them together,” Dr Hwalla said.
She also noted that Arab nations made up six of the 10 countries with the highest rates of diabetes in the world – with one in four people suffering from the disease.
“This is taxing the government, the health sector and the country’s ability to invest in other places,” Dr Hwalla said.
“We need fiscal policies that will subsidise healthy food and maybe tax unhealthy food, because it’s difficult to change habits, but it’s possible if accompanied by the whole value chain.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
RESULTS
Main card
Bantamweight 56.4kg: Mehdi Eljamari (MAR) beat Abrorbek Madiminbekov (UZB), Split points decision
Super heavyweight 94 kg: Adnan Mohammad (IRN) beat Mohammed Ajaraam (MAR), Split points decision
Lightweight 60kg: Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Faridoon Alik Zai (AFG), RSC round 3
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Taha Marrouni (MAR) beat Mahmood Amin (EGY), Unanimous points decision
Light welterweight 64.5kg: Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE), Unanimous points decision
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Haroun Baka (ALG), KO second round
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
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How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
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A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
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