The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

Plenty and Mawarid Holding Investment have announced an exclusive multi-year partnership to bring locally grown fresh produce to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The collaboration will invest over AED 500 million ($130 million) in an indoor vertical farm in Abu Dhabi, aiming to produce more than 2 million kilograms of strawberries annually.

The project, which plans to develop up to five farms over the next five years with a total investment of up to AED 2.5 billion ($680 million), is expected to create thousands of jobs in the region. The 81,000-square-feet farm will ensure a year-round supply of high-quality berries for both the local UAE market and export to other GCC countries, reducing the need for air freight and food miles.

Driscoll's, a producer of fresh berries and a partner of Plenty, has pre-committed to purchasing the farm's entire strawberry production. Driscoll's will also provide proprietary genetics and market expertise.

Soren Bjorn, CEO of Driscoll's, said: "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. The Gulf region and the UAE 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."

According to the company, the new farm will be the 'world's first' commercial-scale vertical strawberry farm outside North America, following Plenty's first farm in Virginia later this year, which also partners with Driscoll's.

Kashif Shamsi, group CEO of Mawarid, commented: "Mawarid has increasingly focused on adopting cutting-edge technologies in support of the UAE mandate to build innovative food security capabilities".

"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."

Arama Kukutai, CEO of Plenty, added: "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. 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."

The Abu Dhabi farm is expected to be completed by late 2026.

#Plenty #AbuDhabi #UAE