ABU DHABI – Plenty Unlimited and Mawarid Holding Investment have formed a multi-year partnership to bring locally grown fresh produce to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

This venture aims to establish indoor vertical farms, starting with a major project in Abu Dhabi.

The joint venture, involving an investment of more than Dh500 million (US$130 million), plans to build an indoor vertical farm in Abu Dhabi.

This farm is designed to produce over 2 million kilograms of strawberries annually. Over the next five years, the partners aim to develop up to five farms, requiring an investment of up to Dh2.5 billion (USD 680 million). These farms are expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the region.

The Abu Dhabi farm will supply strawberries year-round, offering peak-season flavor for the local UAE market and export to other GCC countries. This will reduce food miles compared to current imports and replace air freight.

The farm’s entire strawberry production has already been pre-committed to Driscoll’s, a global leader in premium berries, which will contribute its proprietary genetics, global brand, and market experience.

“As part of our strategy to delight berry consumers around the world, we are excited to partner with Plenty and Mawarid on this pioneering project,” said Soren Bjorn, Chief Executive of Driscoll’s.

“The Gulf region and the UAE specifically have long been great markets for Driscoll’s, and this project will help ensure we can meet the demands of consumers in this market into the future.”

This new farm will be Plenty’s first commercial-scale vertical strawberry farm outside North America, following the opening of its first strawberry farm in Virginia later this year, also in partnership with Driscoll’s.

Construction on the Abu Dhabi farm, which will cover approximately 7,500m², is expected to be completed by late 2026.

“Mawarid has increasingly focused on adopting cutting-edge technologies in support of the UAE mandate to build innovative food security capabilities,” said Kashif Shamsi, Group Chief Executive of Mawarid, a subsidiary of Alpha Dhabi Holding.

“Our global search for a sustainable solution to the challenges we face in the Middle East led us to the incredible team at Plenty. This joint venture enables us to leverage the most advanced farming technology in the world to grow local food supply throughout the GCC, beginning with our home market in Abu Dhabi, while preserving our precious natural resources.”

Plenty’s Chief Executive, Arama Kukutai, also expressed enthusiasm for the partnership. “Plenty has built the most technologically advanced indoor farming platform aimed not only at meeting year-round consumer demand but making it possible to build a long-term food security infrastructure that can adapt to the needs of regions like the Middle East,” said Kukutai.

“The Mawarid team’s extensive expertise with agriculture and land management in the Emirates makes them a great partner to meet these dual opportunities, in a region that has long been ready to benefit from indoor agriculture.”

This partnership between Plenty and Mawarid is set to transform the fresh produce landscape in the Middle East, ensuring a reliable supply of high-quality strawberries and potentially other crops in the future.

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