UAE Agriculture - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

UAE Agriculture Market Analysis

The UAE agriculture market size is USD 3.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 4.1 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.5%. The growth is driven by the federal Food Security Strategy 2051, investments in controlled-environment farming, and initiatives to reduce the country's 85-90% food import dependence. The market expansion is supported by vertical farming adoption, which reduces water consumption by up to 95%, along with financial support from national banks and investments from Gulf and Asian partners. The implementation of salt-tolerant forage trials, blockchain traceability systems, and desalination-powered irrigation subsidies demonstrates the shift toward efficient agricultural production. While energy cost fluctuations and strict biosecurity regulations affect growth, continued government and private sector investments maintain the United Arab Emirates' agriculture market's growth trajectory.

UAE Agriculture Market Trends and Insights

Government “Food Security Strategy 2051” Capital Outlay

The UAE's Food Security Strategy 2051 directs federal funding across 38 initiatives, including the National Agriculture Centre and smart-farming grants. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office allocated USD 100 million to agricultural technology start-ups, generating research benefits and attracting private equity investments. The matching-fund structure reduces investment risks and accelerates returns on greenhouse and robotics investments. The program implements local-content requirements in public tenders, favoring United Arab Emirates-based suppliers to increase domestic value creation. While ministries coordinate implementation to prevent overlap, the strategy's effectiveness requires standardized regulations across emirates to maintain consistent incentives and minimize bureaucracy.

Preferential Financing for Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA)

The Emirates Development Bank's AGRIX Accelerator program provides 20-week technical boot camps and subsidized loans for agricultural producers implementing hydroponics, automation, and AI-based crop management systems. Mashreq Bank offers an AED 1 billion (USD 272.3 million) credit facility through the "Make it in the Emirates" initiative to increase access to long-term capital. The program supports medium-scale growers with flexible collateral requirements and graduated repayment schedules to overcome the initial high costs of indoor farming. While loan restructuring options protect against production disruptions, the risk of excessive debt remains if technological issues or market changes affect projected yields.

Soil Salinization from Saline Groundwater and High Evapotranspiration

Soil salinity affects 77% of United Arab Emirates agricultural land at moderate-to-high levels, while 96% of groundwater wells face severe irrigation restrictions. The increasing soil salinity compels farmers to use expensive desalinated water or adopt soilless cultivation methods. Date palm oases in Liwa and central Sharjah experience higher crop mortality rates, leading to experiments with salt-tolerant grasses for animal feed. Addressing these challenges requires extensive soil treatment through gypsum leaching, drainage system installation, and increased reverse-osmosis infrastructure, all requiring significant capital investment.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

1. Bilateral FDI Inflows from the Gulf and Asia into Agri-Projects
2. National Subsidy for Desalination-Powered Irrigation
3. Dependence on Imported Seed Genetics and Inputs

For complete list of drivers and restraints, kindly check the Table Of Contents.

Segment Analysis

Specialty and high-value crops account for 40.5% of the UAE agriculture market share in 2024. Growers have increased date-palm production through precision irrigation systems and drone pollination technologies. The segment includes berry cultivation in LED-powered vertical farms, where production efficiency exceeds traditional field farming by up to 12 times per square meter. These controlled environment operations enable producers to achieve higher profit margins through export premium pricing, despite increased capital investments.

The Fruits and Vegetables segment is projected to grow at a 5.0% CAGR through 2030. Bustanica's operations exemplify this growth, with plans to produce 1 million kg of leafy greens annually while reducing water consumption by 95%. This local production supports supermarket supply chains and airline catering services, reducing delivery times and product waste. The Grains and Cereals segment maintains limited production due to high water requirements, though Sharjah's experimental wheat cultivation shows potential for local bread-flour production. In the forage sector, farmers are transitioning to salt-tolerant crops like blue panic grass, reducing dependence on desalinated water while maintaining livestock feed supply.

The UAE Agriculture Market Report is Segmented by Crop Type (Grains and Cereals, Oilseeds and Pulses, Fruits and Vegetables, and More). The Report Includes Production Analysis (Volume), Consumption Analysis (Value and Volume), Export Analysis (Value and Volume), Import Analysis (Value and Volume), and Price Trend Analysis. The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD) and Volume (Metric Tons).

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

1. Market Overview
2. Market Drivers
3. Market Restraints
4. Value / Supply-Chain Analysis
5. Regulatory Landscape
6. Technological Outlook
7. PESTLE Analysis

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support