Desert is an inhospitable terrain; until sometime back it was considered implausible to do sustainable agriculture. Thanks to the determination and vision of the UAE’s leaders who saw the potential of new technology, it is today possible to successfully grow food in the desert.

The UAE considers food security to be essential to the security and well-being of its citizens and residents. In 2018, the UAE launched its National Food Security Strategy to increase production by 30-40 per cent in 10 years. ASt shares the vision of the country’s leadership and wants to play a small part in this big cause.

ASt’s offerings in the AgTech sector include;

• Vertical Farms & Smart Urban Farms
• Hydroponics-enabled Greenhouses

These Smart Indoor Farms will utilize advanced Closed Environment Agriculture techniques to grow premium fruits and vegetables including but not limited to Strawberries (American Grade), Premium Melons (Japanese Grade), Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, and Leafy Greens.

ASt is working on developing first of its kind Smart Urban Farms in Dubai, UAE that will grow premium produce all year long in a sustainable manner. This large-scale commercial venture follows a successful outcome of hydroponics enabled Smart Greenhouses set in Abu Dhabi from June 2020 to May 2021.

These greenhouses engaged sustainable hydroponics technology and harvested more than 4 tonnes of leafy greens, tomatoes and bell peppers without using soil or pesticide. Considerably lower percentage of water was consumed in growing high-quality premium produce.