UAE to encourage businesswomen to invest in the agricultural sector

The Ajman Businesswomen Council (AJBWC) affiliating with the Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the International centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) to strengthen cooperation on supporting agripreneurship and capacity development.

The MoU is aimed to create means and tools that stimulate businesswomen to invest in the agricultural sector and increase their contribution to food security.

The MoU was signed by Dr Amna Khalifa Al Ali, Chairwoman of AJBWC and Dr Tarifa Alzaabi, Acting Director General of ICBA, at the headquarters of the AJBWC-Ajman centre for Entrepreneurship. Under the agreement, AJBWC and ICBA aim to develop projects and capacity development programmes including training workshops focused on agricultural entrepreneurship targeting the AJBWC members, among others.

Commenting on the MoU, Dr Amna Khalifa stressed its importance in increasing the existing cooperation between the AJBWC and ICBA, encouraging businesswomen to agricultural projects through the “Plant and Reap” initiative, which is one of the AJBWC’s main initiatives for 2021.  “This initiative aims at encouraging businesswomen to achieve self-sufficiency in agricultural products by providing appropriate support for equipping greenhouses, making use of unused spaces in homes, and relying on modern agricultural technologies and hydroponics,” Dr Amna said.

She continued, “The AJBWC is keen to address the food security and the mechanisms required to support the agricultural sector by directing entrepreneurs to enter this field, especially in light of the great agricultural progress taking place in the country relying on modern agricultural models and innovative tools, which bodes well for successful agricultural projects.”

Dr Amna hailed the efforts of ICBA and its role in implementing research and development programmes aimed at enhancing the agricultural productivity and its sustainability by relying on creativity and innovation to support food security programmes. For her part, Dr Tarifa Alzaabi said: “We are delighted to join forces with AJBWC that will help us to scale up our existing capacity development efforts and boost agricultural entrepreneurship in the UAE and other countries. This new partnership aligns with our existing programs like the Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture (AWLA) and ICBA Youth Engagement Society (ICBAYES), targeted toward women and youth. I’m sure the new partnership will help generate more interest among the younger generation, especially women, toward the agriculture sector and ultimately support food security and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

Under the collaboration, AJBWC and ICBA will also provide agricultural consultation under the “Grow and Reap 2021” initiative.

Last month the Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a vision to promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and information exchange on matters of common interest, in order to support the UAE business community.