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The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has launched the Agricultural Investment Guide 2021-2022 to introduce the diversified investment opportunities available in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and provide guidance on how to benefit from them, in order to achieve added value to the economy and investors.

The guide is a road map to explore the agricultural market in Abu Dhabi, identify the investment opportunities, and all enablers that make Abu Dhabi the best place for an ambitious investment partnership with the government sector, in addition to that, it is a link to the most prominent investments in the agricultural and food sector needed by the local market, where Abu Dhabi's remarkable growth in all sectors continues to ensure sustained economic growth.

His Excellency Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director General of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) said: "We at Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority are always striving towards achieving leadership and innovation in agricultural investments to ensure sustainable agricultural and food development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Also, we are keen to strengthen our relations with all stakeholders interested to contribute to the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector in Abu Dhabi that meet the aspirations of our wise leadership and reach new levels of excellence"

His Excellency added in the introduction to the guide, "Over the past few decades, Abu Dhabi has witnessed rapid economic developments that have changed its features in a remarkable way, thanks to the insightful vision of the wise leadership and the guiding principles developed by UAE's founding father, the late, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God bless his soul, which made human well-being and improving the quality of life the top priorities. He stated that ADAFSA upon  the guidance and direction  of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), has developed the  agricultural investment guide as a manual that enables investors to identify the diversified investment opportunities available in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and how to benefit from them in addition to presetting the advantages and incentives for investment activities in order to attract and localize foreign direct investments.

He stressed that Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authorities keen to stimulate local and foreign capital investment into projects that will enhance food security, agriculture sustainability, food manufacturing, logistics services and build a strong partnership with the private sector to establish local integrated industries that are capable to compete on a local, regional and international level.

The guide aims at presenting a package of incentives to all those looking for real investment opportunities in the agricultural sector and food manufacturing in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as well as providing all needed information to investors on the available investment opportunities, and ADAFSA's strategic partners. Moreover, the guide presents some of the facts and accomplishments achieved by Abu Dhabi lately that became the pillars to stimulate agriculture investment in the Emirate making Abu Dhabi the ideal place to incubate, develop and expand businesses and investment activities. Noting that Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority during 2020 and 2021 has succeeded in building many investment partnerships which resulted in the approval 13 investment projects in animal production, AgTech an fisheries with an estimated value of 1.2 billion dirhams.

The guide highlighted the fact that due to the insightful vision of the leadership; the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has succeeded in placing itself at the forefront of global competitiveness indicators in many sectors, especially in the agricultural and food sectors, and strengthening UAE's leading position as a regional destination for investment. Despite the significant decline in foreign direct investment at the global level, the UAE succeeded in attracting foreign direct investment in the year 2020, amounting to almost USD20 billion, with an increase of 2.11% from 2019. Thus, it was ranked first in the Arab world, and 15th globally according to the Global Foreign Direct Investment Report issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development "UNCTAD" for the year 2021, which confirms the confidence of global investors in the efficiency and quality of the business environment in the country.

The Agricultural Investment Guide 2021-2022 presents a package of investment opportunities offered to investors locally and internationally in four major sectors, including 54 investment areas for various projects in plant production, animal and fish farming, as well as food manufacturing and logistics projects. These opportunities aim at ensuring the sustainability of agricultural and food investments, reducing investment risk,  attracting domestic and foreign direct investments that help localize modern technology in the agriculture sector. The guide provides 13 investment areas in the plant production sector, 9 in the animal production and fish farming sector, in addition to 12 in the food manufacturing and 21 in the logistics sector serving the agriculture and food production sector.

Furthermore, the guide illustrates the investors' journey, on how to establish a successful partnership with the Authority and how to benefit from the incentives offered, such as Musataha contracts and lease agreements, in addition to other benefits offered from its strategic partners, Abu Dhabi investment office as an example, which facilitates long-term projects that benefit both investors and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The guide also illustrates the procedures for registering agricultural land lease agreements carried out by the Department of Municipalities and Transport.