Navigating water and food security in MENA: Shared risks, regional solutions, and the UAE’s emerging roleWater and food security in the Middle...
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network
Water and food security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is no longer a distant concern. It is a defining challenge that lies at the intersection of climate resilience, political stability, and sustainable development. The recent Food and Water Security Dialogues held in Dubai, co-hosted by Observer Research Foundation (ORF)-Middle East and the Rabdan Security and Defense Institute (RSDI), brought together experts, entrepreneurs, and academics to tackle the region’s acute vulnerabilities and chart collaborative pathways forward. Against the backdrop of the UAE co-hosting the 2026 UN Water Conference, the event reaffirmed the urgency of regional integration, innovation, and diplomacy in addressing these interlinked crises.
A region on the edge
The MENA region is the most water-stressed in the world, home to 6% of the global population but possessing only 1% of its renewable freshwater resources. Climate change is compounding already severe natural constraints, with rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and desertification accelerating the depletion of aquifers and undermining traditional farming systems. From the Nile Delta to the Tigris-Euphrates basin, shared water sources are under increasing strain, fuelling political tensions and resource insecurity. The Gulf countries, including the UAE, are at the forefront of these challenges, where virtually all freshwater needs are met through energy-intensive desalination and where food imports account for 85–90% of consumption.
Innovation at the forefront
Salmaan Mohammed, CEO and co-founder of Platable, emphasised during the panel how disruptive innovation in food systems can alleviate stress on natural resources. His work highlights how technology-driven solutions such as vertical farming, precision agriculture, and AI-powered food logistics, can help Gulf states reduce their dependence on fragile global supply chains. In the UAE, smart greenhouses and hydroponic farms are already producing water-efficient crops at scale, but scaling these models across the MENA region requires investment, cross-border knowledge sharing, and regulatory support.
Attached link
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/navigating-water-and-food-security-in-mena-shared-risks-regional-solutions-and-the-uaes-emerging-role-1.500207983Taxonomy
- Research
- Water Security
- Water Security
- Water-Energy-Food-Security
- Water Security
- Security