Abu Dhabi Targets 70% Food Self-Sufficiency by 2040 Under New ADAFSA Strategy
By Thasmiya
Abu Dhabi has set an ambitious target to more than double its self-sufficiency in basic food commodities by 2040, as the emirate strengthens its long-term approach to food security, sustainable agriculture and technology-driven farming.
The new strategy from the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) aims to increase self-sufficiency in basic food commodities from around **30% today to 70% by 2040**.
The plan was unveiled on October 6 at the opening of the Global Food Security Summit at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi and sets out major targets covering food production, water efficiency, technology, supply-chain resilience and the economic contribution of agriculture.
## **What is Abu Dhabi’s new food security target?**
One of the biggest goals is to increase Abu Dhabi’s ability to produce essential food locally.
Under the strategy, self-sufficiency in basic food commodities is targeted to rise from **30% to 70% by 2040**.
This does not mean Abu Dhabi plans to produce 70% of every food item consumed in the emirate. The target specifically relates to identified basic food commodities covered by the strategy.
The wider aim is to build a more resilient food system that combines domestic production with secure supply chains, investment and technology.
## **Five pillars and 13 programmes**
According to Tareq Al Ameri, Director General of ADAFSA, the new strategy is structured around **five main pillars and 13 programmes**.
The pillars focus on increasing local food production, producing more while consuming fewer natural resources, strengthening the resilience of food supplies, accelerating the use of agricultural technology and creating greater economic value from Abu Dhabi’s agriculture and food sector.
The strategy represents a shift from individual food-security initiatives towards a more integrated system covering the full journey from farms and production to processing, distribution and supply.
## **Abu Dhabi wants to use almost half as much water**
Increasing agricultural production in a desert environment comes with a major challenge: water.
The new strategy therefore does not simply call for producing more food. It also sets a substantial water-efficiency target.
ADAFSA aims to reduce agricultural water consumption from approximately **24,700 cubic metres per hectare per year to 12,700 cubic metres by 2040**.
That makes technologies such as precision irrigation, hydroponics, controlled-environment agriculture and climate-smart farming increasingly important.
ADAFSA has already been researching advanced irrigation, greenhouse cooling, hydroponics, artificial intelligence and other agricultural technologies designed for the UAE’s challenging climate.
## **Agriculture could contribute AED 34.6 billion to Abu Dhabi’s economy**
Food security is also being positioned as an economic opportunity.
ADAFSA aims to increase the agriculture sector’s contribution to Abu Dhabi’s economy from approximately **AED 9.5 billion to AED 34.6 billion by 2040**.
Reaching that goal could involve greater investment in farming technology, food processing, agricultural businesses, local manufacturing and integrated food supply chains.
Abu Dhabi already has a significant agricultural base. ADAFSA’s Farm to Factory initiative reported more than **25,000 farms and 23,000 livestock holdings**, while the emirate’s total food-production value reached AED 13.3 billion in 2023.
## **Technology will play a major role**
Growing more food in the UAE cannot rely only on expanding traditional farmland.
Technology is therefore one of the central pillars of the new strategy.
Artificial intelligence can help analyse information related to crops, weather, water and supply chains, while precision agriculture can help farmers determine when and how much water or nutrients crops actually need.
Hydroponics and controlled-environment farming can also allow certain crops to be produced using more carefully managed resources.
ADAFSA’s existing Agriculture 4.0 programme already explores ICT and AI, alongside post-harvest management and climate-smart agricultural practices.
## **Abu Dhabi also wants stronger food supply chains**
Food security does not depend entirely on producing everything locally.
The new strategy also focuses on resilience throughout the food supply chain, recognising that food moves through farms, factories, ports, distributors, retailers and international trade networks before reaching consumers.
This is particularly important for the UAE because of its position as a major international trade and logistics hub.
Minister of Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said UAE trade in food, agriculture and related products reached **$41.8 billion in 2025**, highlighting the scale of the country’s role in global food trade.
## **UAE aims for global top five in food security**
The strategy also carries a wider national ambition.
According to the targets announced at the summit, the aim is for the UAE to move from **26th place in the Global Food Security Index to the world’s top five by 2040**.
That requires more than simply increasing agricultural output. Availability, affordability, food quality, safety, sustainability and resilience to disruptions all play roles in overall food security.
## **Abu Dhabi is building a wider agri-food economy**
The new ADAFSA strategy fits into a much broader transformation already taking place across Abu Dhabi.
The emirate previously launched the **AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance (AGWA) Cluster**, an economic initiative focused on developing new food, ingredient and water technologies.
The cluster is designed to attract companies and investment working on solutions to food shortages, water scarcity and agricultural efficiency.
Abu Dhabi has also expanded the economic activities permitted on farms. In 2025, another 74 activities were approved, bringing the total to **145 permitted economic activities**, including plant production, food-support services and industrial and recreational activities.
## **What could this mean for UAE consumers?**
The strategy is primarily a long-term agricultural and food-security programme, so residents should not expect supermarket shelves to change overnight.
Over time, however, greater local production could mean a larger supply of UAE-grown and UAE-produced food, shorter supply chains for selected commodities and greater resilience when international food markets face disruption.
Improved agricultural technology could also help Abu Dhabi produce more food without increasing pressure on scarce water resources at the same rate.
The challenge will be balancing local production, resource conservation, affordability and international trade.
## **Why 2040 matters**
The 2040 target gives Abu Dhabi more than a decade to transform how food is produced, processed and supplied.
Rather than pursuing self-sufficiency through conventional agriculture alone, the emirate is combining farming with AI, water-efficient technology, food manufacturing, international trade and private-sector investment.
That approach reflects the realities of producing food in an arid country where water and suitable agricultural land are limited.
## **Why this matters**
Food security has become increasingly important as countries deal with climate change, water scarcity, supply-chain disruptions and changing global trade patterns.
For Abu Dhabi, the new target is significant: increasing self-sufficiency in basic food commodities from **30% to 70% by 2040**, while substantially improving water efficiency and expanding agriculture’s economic contribution.
If the targets are achieved, Abu Dhabi’s food system in 2040 could look very different from today’s — more locally productive, more technology-driven and less vulnerable to disruptions elsewhere in the world.
## **Source Credits**
Information source/resource owners: Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, Abu Dhabi Media Office, Abu Dhabi Registration Authority, Gulf News and Emirates News Agency.
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