Farmers in the UAE are bucking a global trend after finding a way to thrive as the widespread financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak continues to be felt by embattled traders.
While many companies across the Emirates and internationally are being forced to make rapid changes due to the pandemic, some in the country's agriculture sector are reaping the rewards of a spike in demand for local produce.
Emirates Bio Farm has closed its doors to the throng of visitors who regularly tour its sprawling 25-acre site, roughly 70km north of Al Ain city, shut its popular on-site vegetarian restaurant and cancelled corporate bookings.
But it is not all doom and gloom for the organic farm, which was set up four years ago and has expanded rapidly.
As residents adhering to stay-home orders turn to online orders and have more time to devote to cooking, demand for home deliveries, once only a small part of its income, have increased ten-fold.
And the long-term impact of the Covid-19 outbreak could bring lasting benefits for local farmers and food security in the UAE, Yazen Al Kodmani, operations manager at Emirates Bio Farm, believes.
“A lot of [fresh produce] used to come in from India, China, or even closer countries like Iran, Jordan or Lebanon,” he said. “All of that has been disrupted heavily. With the current situation and the high demand on local, a lot of farmers are seeing much less wastage.
“That’s great for the industry as a whole and hopefully the trend continues, where people are buying local so farmers can expand and local production can play a bigger part in food supply to the market.”
Rather than being temporarily laid off, the restaurant chefs have been put to work on developing new products and recipes and, significantly, wholesale orders from shops and supermarkets have also soared, as international supply chains are thrown into turmoil due to restrictions on air travel.
While the current harvesting season in the UAE is approaching an end, Mr Al Kodmani said he hoped that consumers who have turned to local produce, perhaps for the first time, amid the current outbreak would continue to support UAE farmers.
“A lot of people say 90 per cent of the food in the UAE is imported, we see that statistic in a lot of headlines,” he said. “The underlying assumption is that it’s because it isn’t produced here, but that is not the full story. The big picture is that even if you produce more tomatoes, or more cucumber, or you are self-sufficient in the season, the shelf-space given to local is still going to stay the same.
“When the market is oversupplied with tomatoes or cucumbers grown locally it’s being dumped. Obviously there is an arid climate here and the supply isn’t as much, but what I’m saying is there are a lot of products we can be more self sufficient in. But as long as the consumer is demanding other products the market is going to continue to import.
“The current season, unfortunately is coming to an end. But now that people have tried buying from us and others locally, I think they are going to change their habits for the better because they realise the importance of food security, of supporting the local businesses and realise eating fresh tastes better.”
Over the past month, Emirates Bio Farm has sold more produce than ever before, both to wholesalers and individual consumers. The business would typically receive between five and 15 orders per day for home deliveries, but recently, that has grown to between 50 and 80.
All of its 130-strong staff have been kept on, with some working overtime to keep up with demand. Three large refrigerated hangars, usually full of produce during the harvest season, are currently empty.
Not all farmers have welcomed the outbreak. Those that relied on supplying products to hotels and restaurants, for example, have had to rapidly change their businesses with the hospitality sector all but shut down.
However, overall, UAE farmers have “never been so busy,” said Atul Chopra, founder and managing director of Fresh on Table, a company that works to bring local producers and buyers together.
He said he also believed the coronavirus outbreak would lead to a lasting change in consumer purchasing habits, with customers turning away from imports. According to Mr Chopra, demand for local fish, as well as fruit and vegetables, has risen dramatically over recent weeks.
“People have previously been more keen on what’s coming in from Italy or France,’” he said. “The suppliers or supermarkets will be keen to push what they make the maximum margin in, because that’s what trade is all about.
“But people are discovering there’s a huge variety of fresh, local produce, so why won’t they go for it? A paradigm shift has happened across a lot of chefs in the UAE, and I think the same will happen with consumers."
Kibsons International, the online fruit and vegetable delivery company, said availability of products flown in by air had been severely disrupted by the pandemic. If they do manage to get deliveries, the cost of freight is very high, affecting prices, although arrivals by sea have continued.
Grapes, strawberries, watermelons and sweet potatoes, usually flown in from Australia or New Zealand, had been some of the products most affected.
“The current situation we find ourselves in is unprecedented and constantly changing,” Daniel Cabral, procurement manager at the company, said. “We are facing logistical challenges globally from farmers, producers, packhouses and transporters to ports and airports but everyone is working together to overcome these.
“I think it is always important, and perhaps highlighted with the coronavirus, to have alternative sources of products.”
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. Glossary of a stock market revolution
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Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
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Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Background: Chemical Weapons
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
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.
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
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Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
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*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
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Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The Byblos iftar in numbers
29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
50 staff members required to prepare an iftar
200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
