(Bloomberg) --
The oil-rich desert emirate of Abu Dhabi is investing 524 million dirhams ($143 million) to boost local production of produce, fish, cattle and poultry in its push to improve food security.
Much of the money will go toward using new technologies to improve large-scale production of food in climate-controlled conditions, the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office said Tuesday in a tweet.
Abu Dhabi -- like the rest of the United Arab Emirates -- must import most of its food. The coronavirus pandemic, however, has laid bare the UAE's vulnerability to disruptions in foreign food supplies.
Abu Dhabi Looks to Desert and Space Farming to Boost Food Supply
The biggest single investment is 150 million dirhams for Emirates National Poultry Farms, according to the tweet. The other outlays are for projects by Mirak Agricultural, Aqua Fisheries, Alfafa Co. and Al Nahdha Farm. Abu Dhabi Investment Office is making the investments in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Agricultural & Food Safety Authority.
Rice in the Desert: Pandemic Spurs UAE to Grow More Food
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