March 2022

At the event, H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and the Ruler of Sharjah, was briefed by Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Acting Director General of ICBA, about the center’s work on wheat and how it identifies, tests and preserves wheat varieties suited to environments like the UAE. Photo source: http://wam.ae/en/details/1395303035851

Over the past six months, ICBA hosted a wide range of visitors at the installation from different countries. They included ministers, ambassadors, representatives of various international organizations, families and students from universities, colleges, and schools.

Managed by a team of scientists and specialists from ICBA, the installation was a proof-of-concept circular agriculture model that showcased innovations for food, feed, energy, and water security in desert environments.

Hosted at ICBA on the initiative of H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, the event was designed to present to Emirati agri-business owners, farmers and extension specialists a wide range of sustainable agri-technologies and climate-resilient crops that had been developed, tested and proven by ICBA and its partners to perform well in local conditions.

During the event, the participants were briefed about some of the latest agri-technologies suited to the environmental conditions of the UAE. They also visited various experiments, including the longest-running study in the country to assess the long-term impact of different levels of irrigation water salinity on the growth and production of 18 date palm varieties from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

During the event, the participants were briefed about some of the latest agri-technologies suited to the environmental conditions of the UAE.

Launched on 8 March 2021 by H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, the second edition of AWLA brought together 16 women scientists from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and the UAE on a seven-month online program.

Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Acting Director General of ICBA, said: “Women’s role on the farm is crucial for food security globally. But their input in agricultural science and innovation is just as important as they can provide unique perspectives and insights. While women make up over 40 percent of the agricultural labor force and contribute around 18 percent to the overall GDP in the region, the proportion of women in research is very low compared to other parts of the world. Through our program, we aim to encourage more women to play an active role in agricultural science and innovation and support sustainable agricultural development and food security efforts in the region. We are delighted to see this cohort graduate from AWLA today and join our past 22 fellows to become part of a unique forum for women scientists in the region.”

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the CGIAR Research Program on Wheat, the second edition of AWLA included a mix of virtual and e-learning courses tailored to improve the fellows’ research, leadership and project management skills, among others.

Dr. Wafa Al-Yamani, an AWLA fellow from the UAE, said: “Our dreams are big, but so is our willpower to make positive and innovative changes in our workplaces, communities and countries. And the great thing is we know there are so many of us and we all are ready to help each other. One of the best things about AWLA is that it has brought us together and showed what we can achieve when we do things together.”