Dubai: The Ministry of Environment and Water will implement the technology of water extraction from humid air in the development of the agriculture sector and conservation of natural resources.
Saif Mohammad Al Shara’, Assistant Undersecretary for Agricultural and Livestock Affairs at the ministry, and Golden Tsai, CEO of Horien Inc, signed a contract to this effect. The move comes within the ministry’s framework to use technological innovations and scientific research to harness traditional water sources to address the water needs of the agricultural sector and contribute towards the domestic production cycle with an aim to enhance food safety and sustainability.
Al Shar’a emphasised that the ministry is looking to keep pace with advanced technologies and systems to achieve sustainable development and give new dimensions to the agricultural sector. It is also keen to implement innovative concepts in agricultural research to serve the objectives of the‘Agricultural Innovation Centre that was recently opened by the ministry. The establishment of the centre is in line with the‘National Innovation Strategy relaunched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make the UAE one of the most innovative countries in the world over the next seven years in the seven main sectors, which include water.
The ministry has undertaken a promising experiment of extracting water from humid air in cooperation with Horien. The experiment will not only address the issue of water scarcity but will also pave the way for the success of alternative and sustainable solutions that are derived from natural sources. Its positive outcome will benefit the UAE’s agriculture sector by providing water for cultivation.
He added that experiments and research on traditional or modern agricultural technologies will be conducted in accordance with accepted standards and methodologies in order to evaluate the efficiency and suitability of the UAE’s natural conditions. Al Shar’a noted that after implementing this technology and demonstrating its effectiveness, training programmes will be designed and integrated into the agricultural production system for farmers.
