Abu Dhabi is set to host the World Food Security Summit for the first time at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) on 26th and 27th November, 2024. This summit is part of the activities of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week (ADAFSW).
The event will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA).
Organised by ADNEC Group in partnership with ADAFSA, and F&B Manufacturing Group (FBMG) as a knowledge partner, the summit aims to encourage dialogue and practical steps towards building a sustainable global food system and eradicating hunger.
The summit seeks to attract a range of experts and decision-makers to discuss innovative solutions for strengthening the global food security system. This will support international efforts to eliminate hunger and enhance the UAE’s position as a platform for managing dialogues, discussions, and initiatives in global food security.
Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General of ADAFSA, said, “Food security is a major global challenge requiring the combined efforts and cooperation of all stakeholders worldwide to find innovative solutions to end hunger, a key UN Sustainable Development Goal.
“Over the past decades, the UAE and the emirate of Abu Dhabi have played a pioneering role in promoting sustainable food systems, inspired by the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Founding Father, and guided by the vision and the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership,” he continued.
He added, “The summit will bring together a distinguished group of the world’s leading food security experts, alongside officials from both public and private sectors, and civil society leaders, to discuss ways of bolstering food security. Our aim is to engage all stakeholders worldwide, particularly those from developing countries, as well as women and youth representatives, to share experiences, knowledge, and ideas through this summit. We will also showcase the UAE and Abu Dhabi’s exceptional achievements in enhancing food security.”
He emphasised that the support and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed for the Global Food Security Summit reaffirms the entity’s commitment to supporting global efforts to achieve food security.
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNEC Group, said, “Organising the summit aligns with ADNEC Group’s strategy to support all national endeavours aimed at advancing the current and future state of the food security sector.”
“The summit’s strategic importance is amplified by its timing alongside ADIFE and the ADDPE, both of which are organised by ADNEC Group. Together, they form a comprehensive system that showcases the latest innovations and technologies in the sector. They also facilitate the establishment of strategic partnerships between major global and local companies, and attract a constellation of experts and specialists from around the world.”
Saleh Lootah, Chairman of FBMG, expressed his pride in the strategic partnership with ADAFSA and ADNEC to organise the inaugural Global Food Security Summit. He emphasised that the summit will include several themes and discussion sessions that will attract a select group of government officials, decision-makers, experts, and specialists from around the world to discuss the prominent challenges facing the sector.
Ahead of the summit, ADAFSA will organise a series of events and initiatives within the UAE. These initiatives aim to encourage participation from government and private sectors, civil society organisations, and various community groups.
The National Food Security Strategy 2051 aims to make the UAE the global leader in GFSI by 2051. It will achieve this through the development of a comprehensive national system based on enabling sustainable food production using advanced technologies, enhancing local production, global partnerships to diversify food sources, and other means.
The recently launched AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance (AGWA) in Abu Dhabi acts as a comprehensive economic complex. It reinforces global efforts aimed at ensuring food and water security while innovatively addressing the global challenges of food scarcity and water shortages.
The complex is projected to contribute approximately AED90 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and attract investments of up to AED128 billion by 2045.