Dubai: Badia Farms, the Middle East’s first commercial vertical farm in Dubai, will set up a new large-scale farm in Dubai Industrial City, with operations to start in the second quarter of 2020.

Spanning an area of 50,000 square feet, the facility will have the capacity to produce 3,500kg of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.

Badia Farms began production in December 2017 with ambitious plans to pioneer the region’s ‘green revolution’ with innovative agri-tech methods that optimise growing conditions within a controlled indoor environment.

From Dubai Industrial City, Badia Farms will grow more than 30 varieties of fruits and vegetables sustainably, it said in a statement.

“The Badia Farms facility in Dubai Industrial City in particular is a game changer, as combining fruits and vegetables in vertical farming is uncommon on a commercial large-scale basis,” it said in a statement.

Vertical farming uses high-tech methods to produce crops in a controlled environment leveraging vertical space, without pesticides, and using fewer resources compared to traditional farming.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Thani Bin Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment.