- 3rd edition attracts 451 participants across 4 main categories and 13 subcategories
- Al Dahak: The award reflects a strategic national vision to enhance food security and sustainability
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Under the patronage of His Highness 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 Supreme Organising Committee of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award honoured 55 winners in its third edition, held under the theme “Innovative Farmers and Breeders with a Sustainable Vision”.
The awards ceremony, hosted at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, was attended by Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi and Managing Director of ADAFSA, His Excellency Dr Tariq Al Ameri, Director General of ADAFSA, and Her Excellency Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi, Chair of the Supreme Organising Committee of the Award, alongside senior officials, key stakeholders, media representatives, and influencers.
In her speech during the ceremony, Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak expressed her deep appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for his continuous support of the agricultural sector and his commitment to sustainable development and food security. She also praised His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s patronage of the award and his unwavering encouragement for farmers and breeders to excel and innovate.
She stated: “Today, we celebrate the winners of this award, which embodies a bold vision to support and encourage farmers, livestock breeders, and commercial farms to adopt best agricultural practices and the latest technologies. This third edition has seen significant growth in both participation and quality, with more than 451 competitors across various categories, in addition to thousands of visitors engaging in the associated festivals and competitions dedicated to agriculture and sustainability.”
She emphasised that the award is more than just a recognition platform—it is an integral part of a comprehensive national strategy aimed at strengthening food security and agricultural sustainability, aligning with the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051 and the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy. She also highlighted the importance of fostering innovation and attracting young talent to the agricultural sector, commending the crucial role played by farmers and innovators in advancing environmental sustainability, water conservation, carbon emission reduction, and biodiversity protection.
In closing, Her Excellency congratulated all the winners of this edition, assuring participants who were not successful that their participation alone is an achievement and a step towards greater success and excellence in the future. She also commended the award’s supporters, including the Presidential Court, ADAFSA, and all those who contributed to solidifying its status.
Her Excellency Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi confirmed that the award has become a leading national platform for recognising excellence in agriculture and inspiring innovation. She highlighted that the third edition attracted an unprecedented 451 participants across 4 main categories and 13 subcategories.
She stated: “This edition was marked by a diverse range of high-quality submissions, which underwent rigorous evaluation by specialised committees, including field visits to ensure that winners were selected based on the highest standards of fairness and transparency. The total prize value of AED 10 million underscores our leadership’s commitment to honouring excellence in the agricultural sector.”
Since its launch, the award has achieved remarkable success, with the first and second editions attracting 676 participants and awarding 107 winners with total prizes worth AED 16.7 million—demonstrating its significant impact on agricultural excellence.
She further emphasised the committee’s commitment to promoting the achievements of the winners by sharing their success stories and best practices, fostering knowledge exchange, and advancing modern agricultural methods to ensure long-term sustainability and enhanced food security at both local and regional levels. The award will continue its mission of inspiring innovation in plant and livestock agriculture, boosting the sector’s competitiveness, and driving sustainable economic development.
The award aims to strengthen collaboration between farmers, researchers, and agricultural professionals through workshops and scientific forums focused on raising awareness about modern agricultural technologies. Additionally, it seeks to promote the adoption of smart and innovative solutions that enhance productivity and crop quality while preserving natural resources for future generations. Through these efforts, the award contributes to building a comprehensive agricultural system that aligns with the UAE’s strategic vision for food security and sustainable development.
As for the winners, Faisal Salem Al-Nuaimi won the first place in the category of the best farm for open agriculture, Majid Muhair Al-Ketbi claimed the second place, and Salem Issa Al-Mazrouei notched the third place. While Saeed Meher Al Ketbi won the first place in the category of the best greenhouse farm, and Khamis Matar Al Mansouri came in second place, followed by Hamed Ahmed Al Hamed in third place, Mohammed Al Hameli fought in fourth place, and Khamis Obaid Hamrin Al Dhaheri in fifth place.
In the category of Best Fruit Production Farm, Mohammed Shaml Al Mamari, Khalfan Humaid Al Mutaiwi won second place, Rashid Abdullah Al Murr claimed third place, Shliwih Matar Al Mansouri clinched fourth place, and Hadef Mohammed Al Khaili won fifth place.
In the Best Organic Farm category, Sultan Saeed Al Shamsi won the first place, while Hilal Khamis Al Muraikhi came in second place, Salah Salem Al Shamsi in third place, and Issa Mohammed Al Dabbous in fourth place.
In the Best Productive Animal Farm category, Raya Salem Ali Al Lamki won first place, followed by Ghanem Sultan Al Suwaidi in second place, Wael Sakhr Ali Al Musabi in third place, Salmeen Faraj Al Kathiri in fourth place, and Noura Khalifa Saeed Al Jabri in fifth place.
In the Best Small-Scale Producer category, Fish Farm LLC secured the first place, while Al Nayfat Arabian Farm claimed the second place. Al Musaddarat Sheep Farm was awarded the third place, followed by Marhab Farms in fourth place and Ali Al Kaabi Sheep Farm in fifth place.
In the Best Beekeeper category, Mohammed Hadef Mohammed Al Nuaimi won the first place, while Mohammed Hassan Ali Al Zaabi secured the second place. The third place was awarded to Badr Batti Salem Al Shamsi, while Khalifa Saif Darwish Al Ketbi and Amal Abdullah Ahmed Al Hammadi secured the fourth and fifth places, respectively.
In the Aquaculture category, Gulf Aqua Culture emerged as the first-place winner, followed by Agrioceanic Fish Farming L.L.C in second place and Capital Agro Agricultural Production Farm in third place.
For Agricultural Innovation in Plant and Animal Production, Sultan Mohammed Ghadeer Al Mazrouei secured the first place, while Rashid Salim Rashid Al Ketbi claimed the second place. Mohammed Shu’aib Al Hammadi was awarded third place, while Yislem Mubarak Ali Al Breiki and Fahem Salem Jassim Al Nuaimi secured the fourth and fifth places, respectively.
In the Commercial Plant Farms category, Armela Farms won the first place, while in the Commercial Livestock Farms category, Emirates Bio Farm secured the top position, followed by Ruboo Remah Dairy Farm in second place.
In the Outstanding Female Farmer category, Qamasha Saeed Al Mazrouei claimed the first place, while Maryam Khadem Al Mazrouei secured the second place. Salima Sultan Al Shamsi was awarded third place, followed by Ruwaiya Salem Al Darai in fourth place and Lameya Ali Al Saiqal in fifth place.
In the Outstanding Female Breeder category, Salma Salman Al Hinai secured the first place, while Huda Mubarak Mohammed Al Balushi claimed the second place. The third place was awarded to Maryam Mohammed Rashid Al Maqbali, while Maryam Mohammed Ghafan Al Jabri and Hadram Khamis Saeed secured the fourth and fifth places, respectively.
The partners of the third edition of the award were also honoured, including the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, the Supreme Committee of the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, the media partner Abu Dhabi Media Network, Emirates News Agency (WAM), ADNOC Group, the Emirates Association of Poultry Breeders, and the Lulu Group International.