The Abu Dhabi agriculture, fisheries and livestock sector recorded sturdy development within the first 9 months of 2025, with new licences rising considerably because the emirate accelerates funding in meals safety, good farming and diversified financial exercise.
The Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA), the Abu Dhabi Division of Financial Improvement’s arm chargeable for growing and regulating the enterprise sector, reported substantial will increase throughout all licence classes between January and September.
In line with ADRA, 152 new licences have been issued throughout the first 9 months of 2025, up 29 per cent in contrast with 118 licences in the identical interval of 2024.
Lively licences rose 13.5 per cent to 1,425, in contrast with 1,255 a yr earlier, underscoring the sector’s rising attractiveness to native and worldwide buyers.
Abu Dhabi agriculture enterprise
The Al Ain area accounted for the most important share of recent licences, representing 61.8 per cent of all agricultural, fisheries and livestock licences issued within the first 9 months of 2025, and 63 per cent of all energetic licences throughout Abu Dhabi.
Al Ain registered 94 new financial licences, bringing complete energetic licences within the area to 896. These companies play a pivotal position in supporting meals safety, creating jobs and strengthening financial diversification.
ADDED considers agriculture considered one of its precedence improvement sectors for Al Ain, with a concentrate on public-private partnerships, investor alternatives and expertise improvement as Abu Dhabi transitions towards a sensible, diversified and sustainable financial system.
The sector’s momentum is anticipated to proceed following a serious coverage replace increasing the variety of financial actions permitted on farms from 71 to 145, underneath Choice No (5) of 2025 issued by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court docket, in his capability as Chairman of the Board of Administrators of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Meals Security Authority (ADAFSA).
The choice amends provisions of Choice No (3) of 2023, including 74 new financial actions throughout a number of classes:
- 41 associated to plant manufacturing
- 9 supporting plant manufacturing
- 8 meals assist providers
- 12 industrial assist actions
- 2 basic assist providers
- 2 leisure actions
ADRA mentioned these adjustments broaden alternatives for agri-industries, recreation and heritage actions, and strengthen the ecosystem supporting agricultural improvement.
Meals safety and investor assist
Mohammed Muneef Al Mansoori, Director Normal of ADRA, mentioned: “Abu Dhabi is targeted on offering an built-in ecosystem to assist agriculture, fisheries, and livestock actions as a consequence of their very important position in reaching meals safety, a high precedence of economies worldwide.
“The continued excessive development of financial licences within the sector over latest years displays the effectiveness of initiatives launched by numerous entities within the emirate, together with ADAFSA, the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Improvement, and ADRA, to assist buyers and entrepreneurs in seizing alternatives in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock.
“ADRA continues to introduce initiatives to boost ease of doing enterprise within the agricultural sector by providing assist programmes for entrepreneurs and buyers.
“The Farm Licence allows UAE nationals who personal personal farms to conduct as much as 145 financial actions, contributing to agricultural improvement and opening various alternatives, together with agri-industries, leisure, and heritage actions.
“Freelancer and Tajer Abu Dhabi licences embrace a number of advisory actions associated to agriculture, fisheries, and livestock.”
Agriculture entrepreneurs
He added: “We’re working to develop the agricultural sector underneath the direct supervision of the Committee for Financial Actions on Farms, fashioned underneath the course of the Abu Dhabi Government Workplace and contains members from ADDED, the Division of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), the Division of Tradition and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, and ADAFSA.
“We stay dedicated to assist entrepreneurs and buyers in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock actions, and to drive the shift towards good and sustainable agriculture by revolutionary initiatives that create a supportive ecosystem in keeping with strategic plans for sustainable improvement and constructing the financial system of the longer term.
“Final yr, Abu Dhabi launched the AgriFood Progress and Water Abundance (AGWA) in 2024 to boost meals and water manufacturing and provide, supported by the most recent improvements.”
Rising sector
In 2024, new licences for agriculture, fisheries and livestock actions in Abu Dhabi elevated 103 per cent. The worth of agricultural, forestry and fisheries output grew 38 per cent over 5 years, rising from AED6.8bn ($1.85bn) in 2019 to AED9.5bn ($2.59bn) in 2024.
Agricultural and meals product exports elevated 37.5 per cent, from AED6.3bn ($1.71bn) in 2019 to AED8.7bn ($2.37bn) in 2024.
