UN names UAE goodwill ambassador to Food and Agriculture Organisation

Abu Dhabi: The United Nations named UAE representative Prof Abdelouahhab Zaid as its goodwill ambassador to its Food and Agriculture Organisation [FAO] on Thursday.

The appointment signals a positive step towards enhancing the UAE’s reputation among leading countries in the fight for food security,

Zaid currently serves as agricultural adviser to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, and has played a significant role in developing the country’s palm date industry, making it one of the world’s most advanced.

“I am humbled by this recognition, which from my perspective is simply a continuation of a process that started 15 to 20 years ago in the UAE, with regards to the agricultural sector and its development,” Zaid told Gulf News after receiving his official designation.

“Under the wise leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the agricultural sector of the UAE has exerted a lot of efforts in all fields, which has seen the UAE become the world leader when it comes to date-palm conservation, processing, and marketing,” he said.

Speaking on the role he would play, Zaid said: “We want to share our knowledge and the knowhow with the region and countries around the world that are involved in date-palm production and agriculture in general. There will be a lot of work focusing on food security, water efficiency, and the protection of date palm farming.”

Zaid was also keen to stress the importance of ensuring food security both regionally and internationally.

“We can talk a lot about the politics of the Middle East, but at the end of the day, we need to have food on the table,” he said.

“Food security is becoming a priority for the region, along with energy and water security. The concern is not just for our generation, but for the next generations to come,” he added.

Mehdi Drissi, representative of the FAO in the UAE, told Gulf News that the UAE is a natural and reliable partner for the group, and that the appointment is a sign of the strengthening cooperation between the two.

“Without a doubt, the UAE are the champions of sustainable development, and this applies to food security and innovation in agriculture,” Drissi said.“Currently the FAO has future plans with several government ministries starting in 2016, and these plans are based on a five-year framework that is centred around development.”