Agricultural units will be equipped with automated irrigation and crop screening tech.

Although cities in the UAE and its neighbouring countries are being praised for their approach towards integration of innovative tech into the public service as well as business infrastructure, things like ensuring water supply and food security remain a challenge in the desert. With climate change already spelling doom for the region that is at risk of turning uninhabitable in this century, farms in controlled environments covered by domes or vertical units where less water as well as space is used for growing crops, are promising to feed Emirati residents.

As drones zap clouds to make it rain and nano-clay turns the desert sand into fertile land, methods like hydroponics, where fish cleans water for plants which in turn provide nutrition for sea food, are also being considered by authorities. At a time when global agritech firms are setting up vertical farms with AI and drones in the UAE, a company cultivated by local entrepreneurs has launched an initiative to work with farmers, for using technology in agriculture so that the production can be doubled at 80 sites.

Based out of Abu Dhabi, Silal is moving ahead to install intelligent irrigation systems for making optimum use of available resources, and the solution will be paired with a smart mechanism to monitor crops. With hopes to successfully employ automation and robotics for achieving a significant rise in the output, the company will also bring farmers on board to identify crop plans, that can increase yield as well as profitability for them.

Apart from assembling green houses to cover and protect the agriculture units from effects of a parched climate, Silal also has plans to train farmers for making the most of technology. Its project also coincides with the announcement of an aquaculture firm's headquarters in Abu Dhabi, as part of a larger food security push.

During the past few months, drones for planting trees and the use of salty water to grow specific crops has also created hope for greener pastures in the Emirates.