More than 30,000 people explored a leafy green farm in the middle of Expo City Dubai during the Cop28 climate summit.
Crowds were drawn to the rows of cucumbers, lettuces and carrots growing on patches of land surrounded by glass and steel buildings in the summit's Green Zone site, which was open to the public.
There is a lot of interest in understanding what it takes to grow food in the desert
Mai Shalaby,
Expo City Farm's sustainability manager
Cop28 ministerial delegations, non-government groups and delegates walked around the small farm along with UAE families and children visiting the site.
The Expo City Farm made its debut at Cop28 and will remain as a legacy of the climate summit.
“We just got the numbers and are so happy to find out that we had over 30,000 visitors to the farm,” Mai Shalaby, the farm’s sustainability manager, told The National on Friday.
“These are very exciting numbers and show there is great interest in this space.”
Free entry
The farm is close to the giant Saudi Expo pavilion that resembles an open book.
It will be open daily during winter festivities at Expo City that will run until January, from 10am to 7pm on Monday to Thursday and until 8pm from Friday to Sunday, with plans to stay open longer. Entry is free.
Guides take visitors on short tours to explain how to grow fresh produce using little water and energising the soil with organic compost.
It is the latest among several farms in the UAE demonstrating how easy it is to grow produce sustainably in the desert, and one of the first in an urban setting.
“Having a farm in the middle of the city is special to people,” Ms Shalaby said.
“They see aubergine and lettuce and understand that growing this is feasible, that an organic farm is not just in theory.
“When we talk about food security and sustainability, the farm shows something that is here, that is physically present.
“People get a sense of a real-life example of what it means to grow food locally.”
Learning to go green
Across the central section, tomatoes climb a wooden frame, while millet, corn, quinoa and beans sprout in another corner.
Under the shade of trees, a space is set aside for species native to the UAE, such as shih, an ancient medicinal herb used in tea that is known to soothe stomach cramps.
There is an indoor hydroponics section that produces edible flowers and herbs, and the farm also has a climate-controlled kiosk in which mushroom varieties can be grown all year round.
“There is a lot of interest in understanding what it takes to grow food in the desert,” Ms Shalaby said.
“We explained how we manage the soil, use compost and innovations like biochar that help us grow food outdoors.
“This adds nutrients so we don’t need to use so much water for irrigation.”
For many young visitors, there was a lot of learning.
David Ahouty, 13, from Germany, says he wants to add biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from farm and wood waste, to his garden at home.
“I knew about organic compost as fertiliser but now I want to try biochar,” he said.
“I learnt that biochar locks up carbon, is made from agriculture waste that would otherwise be burnt and releases harmful carbon dioxide, so I will be helping the environment.”
The compact farm site, run in partnership with Emirates Bio Farm, has interactive information about greenhouse gas emissions, the crucial need for regenerative agriculture and soil health.
“The intent is for people to search for local solutions,” Ms Shalaby said.
“Our choices make a difference to the climate debate because as individuals we can do something if we choose to eat local.
“We want to show that we can grow food hyperlocal – not just local within the UAE – but within Expo City itself so there are zero transportation emissions.”
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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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