His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the "Plant the Emirates" national programme to advance agricultural development and boost sustainable national food security.

 

The announcement was made during the UAE Cabinet meeting held in Al Marmoom, Dubai. The meeting was attended by HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court; HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence; and HH Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of the Interior, a Wam news agency report said.

 

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “Today we launched a national programme to revitalise and boost the agricultural sector in the UAE, during a Cabinet meeting at Al Marmoom farms.”

 

He added: “The national programme 'Plant the Emirates' carries forward the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed, fulfilling his vision to green, cultivate, and nurture the land of the UAE. Our goal is to embed a culture of agriculture in every school, every home, and in the hearts of our future generations.”

 

He stated: “This programme is designed to strengthen our food security, advance agricultural technologies, build new partnerships with the private sector, and expand our green spaces, ensuring sustainability for our future."

 

“As part of the initiative, the Cabinet approved the establishment of The National Agriculture Centre, a driving force for this sector in the coming years. It will provide technical and technological support, foster partnerships, launch initiatives, and promote local agricultural products,” he continued.

 

“Agriculture in the UAE is Sheikh Zayed’s legacy. It is a pillar of security, sustainability, and prosperity for this cherished land. We call on everyone to join this national project with ideas, initiatives, and by spreading the culture of agriculture. The seeds we plant today will flourish for generations to come,” Sheikh Mohammed explained.

 

The 'Plant the Emirates' programme supports the UAE's vision to advance agriculture development and achieve sustainable national food security. It aims to encourage local community members to practice domestic agriculture by cultivating key agricultural products at home, expand green spaces in the country, support environment protection efforts, and make the UAE agricultural products a synonym for quality and high nutritional value. The programme also coincides with the "Year of Sustainability 2024" and supports enhancing the environment sustainability ecosystem through enhancing local products' effective contribution to reducing the carbon footprint, through the promotion of fresh, locally produced agricultural products.

 

The national programme partners with all federal and local government entities, municipalities’ teams, private sector organisations, and community members. The programme is launching national campaigns, events, exhibitions and seasonal markets to display and market crops and agricultural products under a unified identity. It will also organise volunteer programmes and competitions for students and the public, launch the World's Coolest Winter campaign under the slogan of “Green Tourism”, and offer advisory and specialised programmes and services for farmers and the private sector. The programme will hold events that encourage smart agricultural practices and the use of groundbreaking agriculture technologies and trends.

 

The National Agriculture Centre, which is part of the "Plant the Emirates" programme initiatives, is responsible, according to its establishing resolution, for developing and implementing strategic initiatives and programmes aimed at increasing productivity, improving supply chains, and reducing agricultural production costs.

 

It will also seek to minimise agricultural waste and support the marketing of local agricultural products. By providing technical support for innovative projects, the centre will ensure that the agricultural sector continues to evolve, adopting modern practices and technology-driven solutions.

 

Over the next five years (2025-2030), the centre will focus on raising the number of productive farms in the country by 20 percent, increasing the number of organic farms by 25 percent. Furthermore, the centre seeks to foster the adoption of climate-smart solutions across 30 percent of farms, reduce agricultural waste by 50 percent, increase the use of local agricultural products in restaurants and hotels throughout the UAE by 25 percent, and increase the number of workers in the sector by 15 percent.

 

During the meeting, the Cabinet was briefed on the progress of the Biodiversity Sites Project, which is being led by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and various government and academic institutions. The project aims to identify key biodiversity sites in the UAE based on international standards and develop geographic maps outlining the boundaries of these critical areas.

 

Nine key biodiversity sites have been identified based on international criteria and added to the global biodiversity sites database. These sites include the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Umm Al Zamul (Abu Dhabi), Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve (Abu Dhabi), Yasat Marine Protected Area (Abu Dhabi), Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve (Dubai), the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (Dubai), Wadi Al Helo (Sharjah), Khorfakkan and Shark Island (Sharjah), Wadi Bih (Ras Al Khaimah), and Siniyah Island and Khor Al Beidah (Umm Al Qaiwain). Additionally, two global biodiversity sites have been identified for the Arabian gazelles, including the Arabian Sand Gazelle, and the Arabian Oryx, marking them as the first key sites recognised for the biodiversity of these mammals in the world. Additionally, two sites of global importance for biodiversity for dugongs (sea cows) were identified in the UAE, which are the first sites of their kind in the Middle East. Another three sites of global importance for biodiversity for three endemic species of gecko were identified as well.

 

This biodiversity project is set to enhance the UAE’s environmental competitiveness globally by increasing the percentage of the protected area among the key biodiversity sites from 37.59 to 98.13 percent, as well as increasing the index of marine protected areas among key biodiversity sites from 48.61 to 98.17 percent, and the index of the terrestrial protected areas from 51.55 to 98.08 percent.

 

The Cabinet meeting also featured the latest developments in implementing the UAE Circular Economy Agenda 2031. Achievements of the agenda include regulating the transfer of waste between the emirates to provide a better environment for investments in infrastructure, supporting local investments in infrastructure through trade monitoring measures, applying legislation on the trade of plastic scrap and raw materials, using recycled materials in the consumer goods sector, and developing technical regulation that regulates the use of food waste (oils) as fuel for vehicles in relation to regulating the use of biofuels in the UAE.

 

In addition, the Cabinet has endorsed the restructuring of the National Anti-Money Laundering, Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organisations Committee now chaired by the Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE.

 

The committee will work to develop strategies to combat financial crime, assess the national risks of financial crimes, facilitate information exchange, and represent the UAE in international forums.

 

The Cabinet also approved the restructuring of the Higher Committee for Consumer Protection, chaired by the Minister of Economy. The committee will be responsible for developing general consumer protection policies, reviewing reports received from the Ministry of Economy or the relevant authorities, and implementing programmes to raise consumer awareness of rights and obligations.

 

The UAE Cabinet approved the country’s accession to the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, which ensures that Antarctica is used for peaceful purposes only and promotes international scientific cooperation. The Cabinet also approved the UAE joining the Arctic Council as an observer, enhancing cooperation with Arctic nations.

 

In the same meeting, the Cabinet ratified the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the Republic of Mauritius to boost long-term economic cooperation, increase trade flows, and reduce or waive tariffs on 97 percent of goods and products. The agreement aims to stimulate strategic investments, encourage private sector participation, and ensure transparency and fair trade practices.