Abu Dhabi – The second edition of Global Food Week 2025 drew to a close today at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, wrapping up three days of international collaboration, strategic partnerships, and cutting-edge agricultural innovation that brought together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers from across the world.
Held from October 21 to 23 under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the event recorded remarkable growth in its organization capacity – with a 15% expansion in exhibition space to 33,542 square meters.
Participation surged to 2,070 companies and brands from 75 countries, marking a 9% increase from the previous edition. Eighteen countries and 543 companies made their debut at the event, while Emirati participation was robust, boasting 1,055 national companies and representing 51% of all exhibitors.
From Michelin-star chef demonstrations to breakthrough AgriTech solutions and vibrant international pavilions, Global Food Week 2025 celebrated creativity, innovation, and collaboration across every segment of the food value chain – from farm to fork.
With more than 5,000 business meetings and 30 international pavilions, including Morocco, the UAE’s largest food and agriculture gathering reinforced Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for food security, agri-innovation, and sustainable development.
The platform serves as a nexus between government and private sectors
Majed Alzaabi from ADAFSA’s Strategy & Policies Sector told Morocco World News (MWN) that the purpose of this platform is to “build, enhance and establish a relationship between government and private sector from all over the globe.”
Discussing Moroccan participation, Alzaabi noted, “We have 25 co-ops participating this year. They are producing and showcasing lots of Moroccan products, for example, saffron, oil, and different products.”
He elaborated that a dedicated team from Morocco is working to “build relationships with other business partners to enhance the relationship and broaden the trade between Morocco and the UAE,” signaling growing economic ties between Abu Dhabi and Rabat.
The opening ceremony on October 21 brought together Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, alongside numerous officials, ambassadors, and international experts who toured the exhibition halls.
ADAFSA initiated the event by signing six strategic cooperation agreements with leading organizations, positioning Abu Dhabi as a center for agricultural advancement and food innovation.
These collaborations extend across zoo management, academic research, community engagement, and agricultural sustainability. The agreements concentrate on data integration, scientific research, capacity building, and the promotion of Good Agricultural Practices certification.
The first agreement with the Zoo and Aquarium Public Institution in Al Ain aims to feed Abu Dhabi’s One Health Laboratory Platform with vital laboratory data on animal diseases and agricultural pests. Two agreements with Khalifa University focus on specialized scientific studies and capacity building for ADAFSA employees.
Additional partnerships with the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, the National Agricultural Centre, and Global Academy Limited aim to strengthen community engagement in agricultural initiatives, promote sustainable farming practices, and enhance research development, respectively.
Agricultural excellence receives recognition and support
The Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award by ADAFSA featured prominently during the week, offering a total prize pool valued at AED 10 million ($2.7 million) across four main categories: Outstanding Farm and Livestock Holding, Agricultural Technologies, Commercial Farms, and Outstanding Female Farmer/Breeder.
The program highlights excellence in farming practices, livestock management, commercial operations, and women’s contributions to agriculture. This year’s edition aligns with the UAE’s Year of Community 2025, expanding participation opportunities for youth and women.
Buthaina Ahmed Sanqoor, Member of the Supreme Committee, detailed, in an interview with MWN, that this year’s edition “includes five accompanying promotional festivals, each focusing on a unique aspect of agriculture, food production, animal resources, and honey.”
“We are celebrating the fourth edition of this award, which features four main categories dedicated to outstanding farmers and breeders,” she said. “The Sheikh Mansour Award continues to support and promote local products and recognizes distinguished farmers and breeders who play a vital role in strengthening the nation’s food security ecosystem.”
She explained that within these festivals, “we have introduced an impressive 77 sub-category competitions, expanding opportunities for participants across the agricultural, livestock, and food industries.”
The award, now in its fourth edition, has attracted more than 1,127 participants and recognized 162 winners since its inception, with prize funds exceeding AED 26.7 million ($7.27 million). Registration remains open until December 15, with winners to be announced in March 2026.
Research advances food security through innovation
Haileeyesus Gebrehiwot, from the Food Security and Technology Research Center at Khalifa University’s Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, presented to MWN pioneering work on developing functional products from camel milk.
“We develop several food products which are aimed at boosting the economy of the UAE in general, in particular in the Gulf region,” Gebrehiwot stated. His team specializes in developing “low heat and probiotic camel milk powder,” preserving nutritional properties while enhancing gut health benefits.
“Camel milk is prominent in this region, and it is known for having so many health benefits. So, we want to preserve these nutrients while processing,” Gebrehiwot explained. “We do a selection of technologies that would maximize the retention of these products. In addition, we incorporate probiotics to develop a product with enhanced gut health.”
His colleagues work on “camel milk cheese products with different functionality like elasticity” and advanced “packaging materials aimed at enhancing the shelf life of perishable products like strawberry and mushroom.”
The research center also develops detection systems using AI and automated technologies to identify infestation microorganisms, thereby boosting agricultural outputs and addressing food security challenges through technological solutions.
“Our other teams produce cheese products, camel milk cheese products with different functionality like elasticity, and develop their tests also,” Gebrehiwot added. “Another colleague develops packaging materials which are aimed at enhancing the shelf life of perishable products like strawberries and mushrooms, and so on.”
Groundbreaking digital platform catalogs UAE date varieties
Speaking to MWN, Abdellah Ouahabi, former professor at the Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakech and former head of the FAO office in Saudi Arabia, revealed his involvement in a pioneering initiative to document UAE date palm varieties.
“I am the team leader of a project implemented by Erth Zayed Philanthropies and Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, aiming at making a platform for date palm varieties in the United Arab Emirates,” Ouahabi explained.
The international consultant, who specializes in date palm, good agricultural practices, and value chain analysis, spoke of the unprecedented nature of the undertaking.
“It’s actually the first time that such a project is implemented because it’s a digital platform where we find all the characteristics of the variety of these varieties, their distribution within the country,” he noted.
The comprehensive resource will serve multiple stakeholders, as “decision makers, researchers, or anyone who is interested in date palm, can come and find the information about all these varieties.”
The collaborative project involves key institutions, including ADAFSA, the UAE Ministry of Climate Change, and other experts who are interested in these projects, according to Ouahabi. The implementation process follows a structured timeline, with the first phase of the project, which began on September 1, continuing until December 31.
Ouahabi detailed plans for continued development, explaining that “the second phase is expected to be implemented during the Bessar and Rutab stages, which is from May to July,” noting that the September start date meant they had a missed opportunity to document all varieties in their earlier growth stages.
The platform represents a significant advance in documenting and preserving knowledge about date palm diversity in the UAE.
Artisanal fragrances showcase Emirati entrepreneurship
Among the small business entrepreneurs attending Global Food Week was Umm Maryam, who presented her home-based perfume and incense business to MWN. Her display featured hand-crafted fragrances rooted in Emirati tradition, but adapted for modern consumers.
“I create all these products myself, and thank God I’ve succeeded with them,” she explained. “I learned these skills since childhood, but have developed them so everyone can enjoy distinctive fragrances that please all people.”
Her production process maintains traditional methods while incorporating personalization options. “I use oils at home, and even the bottle-sealing process I do myself,” Umm Maryam detailed. “I buy the bottles and mix as I wish. I seal the perfumes manually, which means I can reduce or increase concentration and do anything the customer wants.”
The product range extends beyond basic fragrances. “I make hair perfumes, regular perfumes, body perfumes, sprays, incense, and everything else,” she noted. Her journey began with traditional practices: “The story is that I learned from childhood with grandmothers when they would work over the fire. I started with mukhammaria, which is our old perfume with saffron.”
Innovation drives her business approach. “I developed it by using saffron for color rather than fragrance, as I wanted. Our families used to use it for both fragrance and color as they loved the saffron smell, but I use it for color to give the perfumes a distinctive appearance,” she added, expressing hope for expanding her home-based business into a shop in the future.
Traditional agriculture meets modern approaches
The 11th Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition stood out as a central element of the week. Professor Abdelouahab Zaid, Secretary General of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation (KIADPAI), expressed gratitude for Morocco’s participation during an exclusive interview with MWN.
“On behalf of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, I would like to thank you for your presence here in Abu Dhabi and for having you here taking care of the whole participation of more than 20 countries represented by 90 pavilions,” Zaid told MWN at the exhibition.
Highlighting the exhibition’s place in a broader context, Zaid noted, “This is the 14th event. Before it, in Abu Dhabi, we had seven or eight other events, which means more than 20 festivals and date palm festivals have been organized in the UAE. This is why the UAE is considered the premier center of the date industry in the world.”
Zaid spoke warmly of the longstanding collaboration with Morocco. “We’ve assisted with the Erfoud festival since 2010, which was inaugurated by His Majesty the King, God protect him, in 2011,” he said. “We’ll be participating in its 14th session at the end of October, where the UAE’s participation has been recognized as number one since the event’s establishment.”
The Moroccan agronomist, who holds degrees from the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute and a PhD from Colorado State University, has served as Secretary General of KIADPAI since its launch in 2007. Over his distinguished career, he has received six royal letters of recognition from King Mohammed VI honoring his continuous efforts to advance agricultural innovation and the date palm sector.
“Since 1998, Khalifa International Award has organized the international date palm conference, which is attended by an average of 450 to 500 scientists from around the world coming from an average of 50 countries,” Zaid explained. He announced that in April 2026, KIADPAI will organize the eighth international date palm conference, including a special focus on combating the red palm weevil.
Discussing current participation, Zaid said, “There are more than 90 pavilions representing about 20 countries. We can cite a few of them: the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Jordan, and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. We do have Moroccan date growers from the Boudnib area, but also small-scale farmers who are participating.”
The week’s specialized events included the fourth Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition, the Protein Alternatives Pavilion showcasing lab-grown meat, the AgriTech Forum for agri-food startups, and the Agricultural Investment Forum connecting government entities with private investors.
The AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance (AGWA) cluster continues driving innovation in food security and climate resilience solutions through the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for food sector investment.
This year’s event built upon the success of the inaugural edition, which attracted over 34,000 visitors, featured 1,900 brands, and generated AED 6.2 billion ($1.69 billion) in business deals, further cementing Abu Dhabi’s role in addressing and solving global food security challenges.