First joint vertical farm underway in
Abu Dhabi, slated to bring
strawberries to market in 2026
ABU DHABI, UAE, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Plenty
Unlimited Inc. ("Plenty") and Mawarid Holding Investment
("Mawarid")—a subsidiary of Alpha Dhabi Holding, a major publicly
listed company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)—announced
they have entered into an exclusive, multi-year, region-wide
partnership to bring locally grown fresh produce to countries
across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The joint venture Plenty
and Mawarid have formed will invest more than AED500 million
(US$130 million) into the
partnership's first project in the GCC – an indoor vertical farm in
Abu Dhabi, designed to grow more
than 2 million kilograms of strawberries annually. The joint
venture plans to develop up to five farms in the next five years,
which would require investing up to AED2.5 billion (US$680 million) and bring thousands of direct and
indirect employment opportunities to the region.
The Abu Dhabi farm will develop
a year-round supply of berries with peak-season flavor for both the
local UAE market and export to other GCC countries, replacing air
freight and reducing food miles compared to current imports. The
farm's complete production of strawberries is already pre-committed
to Plenty partner and global premium berry leader Driscoll's, which
will also contribute its proprietary genetics, global brand and
extensive market experience.
"As part of our strategy to delight berry consumers around the
world, we are excited to partner with Plenty and Mawarid on
this pioneering project," said Soren
Bjorn, CEO of Driscoll's. "The Gulf region and the
United Arab Emirates specifically
have long been great markets for Driscoll's, and this project will
help ensure we can meet the demands of consumers in
this market into the future."
The new farm will be the world's first commercial-scale vertical
strawberry farm outside of North
America, following the opening of Plenty's first strawberry
farm in Virginia later this year –
also in partnership with Driscoll's. Construction on the
Abu Dhabi farm–which will be
approximately 7,500 square meters (81,000 square feet)–is targeted
to be completed in late 2026.
"Mawarid has increasingly focused on adopting cutting-edge
technologies in support of the UAE mandate to build innovative food
security capabilities," said Mr. Kashif
Shamsi, Group CEO of Mawarid. "Our global search for a
sustainable solution to the challenges we face in the Middle East led us to the incredible team at
Plenty. This joint venture enables us to leverage the most advanced
farming technology in the world to grow local food supply
throughout the GCC, beginning with our home market in Abu Dhabi, while preserving our precious
natural resources."
"Plenty has built the most technologically advanced indoor
farming platform aimed not only at meeting year-round consumer
demand but making it possible to build a long-term food security
infrastructure that can adapt to the needs of regions like the
Middle East," said Arama Kukutai,
CEO of Plenty. "The Mawarid team's extensive expertise with
agriculture and land management in the Emirates makes them a great
partner to meet these dual opportunities, in a region that has long
been poised to benefit from the promise of indoor agriculture."
In the UAE, 80% of the land is desert1 and
only 0.7% of the land is arable2. Developing
local food production is essential to creating a more sustainable
and secure food system that gives communities access to fresher,
more nutritious food. And in the GCC countries, which import more
than 85% of their food3, it is a key unlock
to food security.
About Plenty
Plenty is rewriting the rules of
agriculture through its technology platform that can grow fresh
produce almost anywhere in the world, year-round, with peak-season
quality and up to 350x more yield per acre than conventional farms.
Plenty farms are the world's highest-efficiency system for
converting electricity into fresh fruits and vegetables. Plenty's
proprietary approach is designed to preserve the world's natural
resources, make fresh produce available to all communities and
create resilience in our food systems against weather, location,
pests and climate impacts. Plenty operates the world's most
advanced indoor farm in Compton,
California, and is currently building the world's first
vertical farm to grow strawberries indoors at scale near
Richmond, Virginia, and the
world's largest vertical farming research center in Laramie, Wyoming. For more information visit
www.plenty.ag.
About Mawarid Holding Investment
Headquartered in
Abu Dhabi, Mawarid is a pioneer in
the field of natural resources cultivation and conservation in the
UAE. The group has a portfolio of innovative businesses operating
across multiple business lines including Agriculture, Forest
Management, Landscape Design and Construction, Asset Operation and
Maintenance, Plant Nurseries, Soil and Irrigation technologies,
Wildlife Conservation, Eco-Tourism Services, Hotel Management
Services, Biosciences Research, and Organic Recycling. Mawarid
works to minimize environmental impact through eco-friendly
practices and green technologies. Desertification, water stress,
and food security are of particular importance to the group which,
through strategic partnerships, looks to preserve ecosystems and
support climate affected regions by promoting sustainable land and
natural resources management in the UAE and beyond.
For more information visit mawaridhi.com.
Media Contacts
Plenty: Erin
Santy, press@plenty.ag
Mawarid: press@mawaridhi.com
1 FAO
2 World Bank
3 GCC Food Industry Report
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