Leading regional investment heads set to take part in the one-day forum 

27 February 2019 - Dubai, UAE:  Following on from the success of last year’s investment gathering, the organisers of AgraME, one of the region’s leading exhibitions focusing on the burgeoning Agriculture industry, will once again be hosting a number of government investment heads from across the Middle East to discuss the multi-billion dollar investment opportunities the regional agriculture industry currently holds.

Under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the highlight session of the Agriculture Investment Forum, taking place on March 5th, is a series of presentations under the theme ‘Investment opportunities in the Arab World’ and will be initiated by H.E Mohammed Bin Obaid Al Mazrooei – President, Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID).

Other speakers include; H.E Abdalla Sultan Al Owais – Chairman of the Board of Directors of Emirates Rawabi Company and Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; H.E Jamal Saif Al Jarwan –Secretary General, UAE International Investors Council and Dr. Azaiez Ouled Belgacem- Regional Coordinator, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas.

According to the latest Arab Organization for Agricultural Development reports, the economies of the Middle East and North Africa have a combined GDP of some USD 2.3 trillion, to which the agricultural sector contributes around 6.24%, and a total population of around 415 million people.

This fact alone shows how great the regional investment opportunities currently are. 
The region includes a wide scope of economic environments ranging from ambitious Gulf States to unfavorable investment environments in counties undergoing political instability.

The factors that make a country attractive for agricultural investment are: availability of natural resources, markets growth trend, logistic and financial environment, technologies affordability and people skills and the political stability of the country. 

According to conclusions made by AAAID, over the last three years investors have showed increased interest in projects within the food-processing sector. The rate of agricultural products being processed in Arab countries are low, and in some seasons the amount of production could exceed the demand, therefore opening up opportunities for development of additional agricultural products storage, grading, packaging and food processing - all of which are showing good ROI. 

Other key areas of focus for the agriculture investment landscape is smart farming technologies – especially within the hydroponic, aquaponic and fish farming verticals. Within the Middle East, scarcity of water is an on-going issue and any technology that can ensure projects use less water, become more efficient and promote sustainability will be closely followed. 

AAAID has over 40 years of extensive knowledge and connections in establishing income generating projects and companies, providing scientific research services, technology transfers and many developmental activities. According to comments from the company ahead of the forum next month, “It is imperative to facilitate this information for different bodies participating in the agricultural field, and AAAID’s partnership with AgraME 2019 is aimed at connecting establishments and individuals with the right channels to reach the collective goal of achieving food security,”.

“The success of last year’s investment gathering played a key role in shaping the 2019 Agriculture Investment forum. With the help of the AAAID as our investment partner, we continue to promote ways in which the Middle East can be more food secure given the right level of responsible investment, know-how and tools.

The forum will offer excellent networking opportunities and will enable strategic partnerships to be formed between investors, government bodies and those working in the agriculture, aquaculture and animal health industries.” commented Samantha Bleasby, Exhibition Director, AgraME.

Representatives from the National Fisheries Development Programme of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be giving forum attendees an outlook on the current landscape in sessions focussed on the Aquaculture investment opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the National Fisheries Development Programme. 

Under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, AgraME will take place from the 5 – 7 March 2019 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

With a targeted focus on the Crop Farming, Animal Farming, Aquaculture and Animal Health sectors, AgraME 2019 will attract suppliers and buyers, both locally and internationally, looking to source the latest products and innovative solutions in order to create a sustainable food supply across the MENA region.