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Saudi Arabian agriculture technology startup RedSea has commissioned and started operations at its first greenhouse facility in Abu Dhabi.
The move will help diversify food product sources and stimulate the region’s agri-food sectors, the company said in a statement.
The one-hectare “showcase facility” will enable wider adoption of the technologies in the UAE to benefit local growers and significantly impact Abu Dhabi’s agricultural ecosystem.
With climate change and increasing global food shortages, the UAE and the Middle East are leading the way in addressing these huge issues ahead of COP 28.
Ryan Lefers, CEO of RedSea, said: “Globally, food production is frequently unsustainable and very vulnerable to climate change. Our technology, which addresses these problems directly, is a solution already being delivered in hot climates around the world.”
RedSea’s technologies include iyris heat-blocking low-cost roofing, a climate-controlled recirculating deep water culture system for the growth of berries, and a saltwater evaporative cooling system functioning without desalination.
In addition, the greenhouse facility is powered by 2,000 square metres of elevated solar panels functioning as agrivoltaics, with protected crops grown under the panels and a heat-blocking net.
The facility will showcase a saltwater irrigated fodder plot, a ground-breaking use of salty brine for irrigation of fodder for livestock feed, the statement said.
(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)
