Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who holds multiple positions including Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), has approved 71 economic activities that can be carried out on agricultural lands.
The activities include tourism and recreational ventures such as holiday homes, which aim to promote the UAE’s cultural heritage and support the tourism sector. Additionally, there are other activities that support the agricultural sector, such as plant and animal farming and food production. The goal of these activities is to promote sustainable agricultural development and diversify income sources for farm owners.
The decision is the result of the efforts of the Committee for the Determination of Economic Activities on Agricultural Lands, formed under the directives of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office including the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development , the DMT, and the DCT Abu Dhabi. The committee worked to maximise the use of agricultural land and diversify the options of projects that can be established on farms, in addition to regulating and facilitating the practice of recreational and tourism activities on farms, making the farm a successful investment project and an educational, recreational and heritage experience in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Mr. Saeed Al Bahri Al Ameri, Director-General of ADAFSA, commented.
“Agricultural lands in the emirate of Abu Dhabi are a thriving asset for the emirate and its owners. At ADAFSA, with the support of the wise leadership, we are working to maximise the value of this wealth and diversify the economic activities that can be carried out on farms to consolidate the food security system and increase local plant and animal production, in addition to promoting agri-tourism to benefit from the recreational activities available at many of the crop and livestock farms in the emirate of Abu Dhabi,” Mr. Al Ameri added.
These economic activities are categorised into four groups, including 21 activities that support the plant sector, 24 activities related to the animal sector, 18 activities related to the food sector, and eight recreational activities such as holiday homes, all of which aim to promote cultural development and the tourism sector in Abu Dhabi.
ADAFSA has further set certain requirements and construction limits for economic activities on agricultural lands. These limits ensure that economic activities do not exceed 30 percent of the total farm area, that there is a main licensed plant or animal activity on the farm, that the economic activities are only for the farm owner, and that the trade license is issued in the farm owner’s name.