Agriculture Minister Oded Forer and United Arab Emirates Defense Minister Miriam Al-Mahiri signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday between the two countries that includes cooperation in research and development, exchange and use of fruit and vegetable varieties that meet desert conditions, building applied capabilities in aquaculture and inland agriculture, advanced technologies in water management for irrigation, and more.
This latest agreement is another outcome of the Abraham Accords brokered by then-US President Donald Trump and signed last September at the White House in Washington DC between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan. Morocco later joined the circle of peace as well.
Israeli agriculture is at the forefront of global research and development. The combination of desert conditions that characterize the State of Israel and the most extensive research knowledge base in the world, creates fertile ground for cooperation with many countries and for establishing the name of Israel as a world leader in agriculture, the Agriculture Ministry pointed out in a statement.
“Countries from all over the world are cooperating with Israel in the field of agriculture. This agreement is another opportunity for further promotion and establishment in the world of agrotech,” the ministry said.
Water recovery is another area in which Israel leads the world, and is another way in which Israel is working to deal with climate change.
The United Arab Emirates uses about 200 cubic meters per capita per year sources said, noting that is twice the amount in Israel. There is a shortage of groundwater reservoirs, a high amount of salinity in the existing groundwater and thus its limited use.
The UAE is known for its high economic capabilities and the extensive trade of fruit and vegetable imports around the world. The quality of fresh agricultural produce as well as the geographical proximity and cooperation between the two is expected to lead to the opening of new markets for Israel.
“We see eye to eye the importance of agriculture for food security,” Agriculture Minister Oded Forer said. “Agriculture is critical for providing fresh food to our residents.”
Miriam Al-Mahiri, UAE Minister of Food and Water Security, said the two countries “share many challenges when it comes to food security and we are cooperating to find innovative and feasible solutions to these challenges.
“The Memorandum of Understanding is important in our collaborative approach as it enables the involvement of stakeholders from both the public and private sectors in our two countries, and provides for the future in a sustainable way.”