Futuristic Vertical Farming Helps Plants to 'Overcome Hostile Environments' in the Middle East
Futuristic Vertical Farming Helps Plants to 'Overcome Hostile Environments' in the Middle East
December 29, 2017
Source: Associated Press
A number of entrepreneurs in the Gulf are now banking on vertical indoor farming and other alternative ways to grow food in the Middle East, where traditional farming becomes a challenge due to harsh climatic conditions.
One such vertical indoor farm has just opened the business in Dubai and claims to be the first of its kind in the region.
"It's an excellent use of space, but more importantly you're overcoming that hostile environment of climate, weather and the heat as well. So you're giving the plant exactly what it needs so you can grow it 365 days per year," said Omar Al Jundi, founder, and CEO of Badia Farms.
Indoor farming isn't a new technology, but not many have been set up for commercial purposes in the Gulf.
The vertical indoor farm is just one of several private investment ventures focused on alternative agriculture in the UAE.
According to local government data, Dubai imported almost 34-million tonnes of food last year; and a figure like this is what projects like the vertical farm are trying to make a dent into.
Meanwhile, authorities have been investing in research for decades, and they're mindful of the challenges presented by vertical farming.
"This is a system which is very sensitive and needs a lot of maintenance. And needs also a lot of technical skills, so which make him a little bit, very difficult to implement.
"But actually if we have these capacities, if you have these facilities, this will be the best system and will be the technology of the future," said Dr. Abdelaziz Hirich, a horticulture scientist at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture.
While the founders of Dubai's new vertical farm agree that setting up a business can be tricky, they're confident that the idea is scalable.
"The project is high-capex but then once you run it the operation costs are pretty minimal. So it's extremely exciting because this is the beginning of the farming revolution in this part of the world," concluded Al Jundi.