The United Arab Emirates’ agri-tech company Silal and China-based Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group (SVG) have signed a strategic partnership to establish a \$33 million smart agricultural technology hub in Al Ain, near Abu Dhabi. Spanning approximately 100,000 square meters, the facility will integrate artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced greenhouse systems tailored to the UAE’s arid climate. The project also aims to reduce environmental impact by utilizing solar energy.
The hub will feature AI laboratories, automated irrigation systems, post-harvest processing units, and logistics centers. It will cultivate more than a dozen crop varieties, aiming to cut water and fertilizer use by up to 30 percent. Silal CEO Salmeen Alameri said the partnership will “revolutionize” the UAE’s agri-tech sector, while SVG co-founder Yang Ming highlighted the UAE’s climate as a crucial testing ground for agricultural innovation. The agreement was signed during the “Make it in the Emirates 2025” forum, witnessed by UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and Minister of Climate Change and Environment Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak.