UAE officially names food security as a national issue
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, told a meeting with the Abu Dhabi Food Security Alliance that food security was a joint responsibility that could be enhanced through constructive partnerships between public and private sectors, and by encouraging scientific research on advanced agricultural technology.
The crown prince also called on stakeholders to devise programmes for training and capacity-building to create a “broad base of national professionals who have skills, abilities and qualitative excellence to effect change and make a difference”.
Sheikh Mohammed was recently in India on a state visit when he agreed with Prime Minister Modi that ensuring food security would remain an area of high priority, for which for the two sides would collaborate.
Modi also welcomed a proposal from the UAE during that trip to build food security parks in the Gulf housing high-quality food-processing infrastructure with integrated cold chain.
The UAE and India have a symbiotic relationship centred on their food and energy security plans, with Abu Dhabi’s oil used to build India’s strategic reserves, while in turn India can offer food security by setting up the logistics hub in the UAE. The UAE is also keen on setting up a logistics hub in Dubai for Indian basmati rice.
