UAE: Meet the Emirati who transformed a barren land into a food oasis

UAE: Meet the Emirati who transformed a barren land into a food oasis

Ahmed Salim Al Shamsi's farm is a boost to food security amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Published: Fri 4 Feb 2022, 5:02 PM

“Two European vacations, that’s what it cost me to set it up,” said Ahmed Salim Al Shamsi.

“But look at the rewards,” he beamed, as he let his gaze sweep over the sprawling farm.

A pioneer

The young Emirati gentleman has every reason to be proud. He has transformed the family’s modest pick-your-own farm in Sharjah into a fantastic food oasis in less than two years.

Al Shamsi, who lives and works in Abu Dhabi, visited the farm during the onset of Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 to relax for a few days.

Instead, he ended up working there, often for three months at a stretch after taking a break from his government job.

The efforts did not go in vain.

Now, rows upon rows of plants stand on the hitherto barren stretch in the middle of a desert between Sharjah and Al Ain.

There are cauliflowers on one patch, eggplants on another. A third patch is awash with corn.

What's aquaponics?

Further up, is a large aquaponics system – an innovative food production method, where fish and vegetables are farmed together using recirculated water.

“Innovation makes for strange bedfellows,” said