UAE signs food security pact with Syria

The UAE will start importing fruit and vegetables directly from Syria through a transit route via Iraq, a senior Emirati official has said.

The move will eliminate intermediaries, reduce delivery times and increase returns for farmers, the state-run Syrian News Agency reported, quoting Khaled Al-Saeedi, director of government communication at the UAE agriculture ministry.

Syria has signed a memorandum of understanding with two UAE companies to launch a joint agricultural initiative to boost food security, increase agricultural exports and foster sustainable farming.

UAE-based Mair Group will establish four agricultural processing centres across Syria’s coastal, central, southern and eastern regions to prepare locally produced fruit and vegetables for export, CEO Nehayan Alameri said.

The memorandum includes the development of a digital platform and digital financing services to support farmers and improve agricultural value chains in Syria.

The UAE and Syria began talks in June to establish a logistics corridor, connecting Syrian ports with Iraq’s port of Umm Qasr and extending to Khalifa port in the UAE.

Syria has attracted large investments and financial aid from Gulf oil producers as it struggles to rebuild its economy, with Saudi Arabia committing SAR7.5 billion ($2 billion) to the development of two airports in Aleppo.

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