HE. Rashid Mohammed Al Shariqi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority has chaired the first session  of Gulf Forum to Enhance Food Security and Support Small and Medium Scale Farmers,  held under the  theme 'Agriculture & Food Situation In GCC' on Monday( March 2 )at Fairmount Bab Al Bahr Hotel In Abu Dhabi.

During the address to the gathering, he underscored the importance of food security and how it shapes the agenda and sets priorities in the region.

He expressed his gratitude towards Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment & Development (AAAID) as well as International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD) for organizing the forum which deals with a pressing issue of the region.

In the session, experts such as Prof. Mohammed Hamidi, economic consultant at AAAID, Dr. Theunis Duvenhagej, Agricultural Expert , Dr Shaduli Mohammed Al Arabi, Consultant and  Dr Mohammed Al Solh, Director General of International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas  (ICARDA) discussed about various topics like food and agricultural production, Food Gap in the region and ways to tackle the issues through investment in agricultural research.

The Forum which is organized in cooperation with ADFCA witnessed good number of participants including experts and specialists from the food and agricultural domain as well as had deliberations on a wide range of issues concerned with food security, agricultural investment and research.