Vertical farming, hydroponics: How UAE farms are creating oases of green across the desert

Vertical farming, hydroponics: How UAE farms are creating oases of green across the desert

The arid climate and lack of arable land are addressed by smart systems that manage the entire farming process – from irrigation to temperature control

Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

Published: Thu 23 Mar 2023, 6:00 AM

In the UAE, technology is bringing agriculture to new heights – literally – as rows of leafy vegetables, fruits and berries are stacked one above the other, yielding produce that help boost the country’s food self-sufficiency.

The arid climate and lack of arable land are addressed by smart systems that manage the entire farming process – from irrigation to temperature control. These climate-controlled facilities require less or no soil, but do produce more food per square metre of land than traditional farming methods.

In fact, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCE) has earlier said that hydroponics (the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil) farms can produce one kilo of lettuce using only about 20 litres of water, and water is recycled instead of being drained into the soil.

Aside from using less water and providing produce that is free of pesticides, these modern farms are also located in or near urban areas, thereby reducing the distance that food has to move