The Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Abdelhakim Waar, confirmed that the Organization views the United Arab Emirates as a key international strategic partner in supporting food security at both regional and global levels. Waar explained that the UAE's adoption of the National Food Security Strategy 2051 reflects this approach, as it focuses on enhancing sustainable local production, improving supply chain efficiency, reducing food waste, and increasing preparedness to face future shocks and crises, which in turn enhances the long-term stability of food systems. He noted that the UAE's role is not limited to the national level but extends to regional and international spheres by supporting the global dialogue on food system transformation and hosting specialized international platforms, including the Abu Dhabi Food Security Week 2025, reflecting the country's commitment to fostering multilateral efforts and building solutions based on partnerships and knowledge exchange. He affirmed that this balance between advanced national policies and constructive international engagement strengthens the UAE's role as a trusted partner in supporting food system stability, particularly in regions most affected by crises. Waar highlighted that the partnership between FAO and the UAE is distinguished by the integration of technical, institutional, and financial roles, focusing on capacity building, knowledge transfer, and developing regulatory frameworks to ensure sustainable medium- and long-term impact. In this context, he referred to the ongoing cooperation between FAO and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in organizing a regional dialogue on food safety in Dubai, which has contributed to enhancing experience-sharing and building advanced regulatory systems aligned with international standards. He added that the UAE's implementation of the food control systems assessment tool, developed by FAO and the World Health Organization, marked a pioneering regional step in improving institutional and regulatory efficiency in food security. Regarding the UAE's experience in agricultural innovation, especially in arid and semi-arid environments, Abdelhakim Waar clarified that FAO views this experience as a leading model for developing agricultural systems that address challenges related to water scarcity and climate change. He pointed out that the country's investments in scientific research, modern agricultural technologies, and climate-smart agriculture have contributed to increasing resource efficiency, boosting productivity, and enhancing sustainability. In this regard, he mentioned the launch of the first Regional Centre of Excellence for Food Security in the region by FAO and the UAE, which will serve as a regional platform for knowledge exchange, enhancing technical cooperation, and supporting innovation in areas such as food system transformation and resilience building, thereby helping countries develop their policies and institutional capacities, transfer evidence-based solutions, and scale up sustainable agricultural practices to enhance food security in arid and semi-arid environments. Waar also touched upon the UAE's contributions to international efforts to combat desertification and hunger, noting that over 40% of the world's land is affected by land degradation, a primary factor in food insecurity and declining livelihoods. He explained that through its partnership with FAO, the UAE supports programs focused on restoring degraded lands, improving natural resource management, and enhancing local food production in fragile ecosystems. In this context, he mentioned that FAO recognized the emirate of Sharjah for its sustainable wheat farming model as a scalable model in arid environments. Regarding current global challenges from FAO's perspective, Waar explained that the world is witnessing an unprecedented intersection of humanitarian, climate, and economic crises. Acute food insecurity has tripled since 2016, affecting nearly 300 million people, while humanitarian resources have seen a significant decline, and funding for the humanitarian food sector has returned to 2016 levels. Waar clarified that 80% of people suffering from acute food insecurity live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and rural livelihoods, yet only 5% of humanitarian food sector funding is directed towards supporting food production and rural livelihoods. Additionally, 90% of humanitarian resources are currently spent on protracted crises, highlighting an unprecedented funding gap. He added that the Near East and North Africa region represents a concerning exception, where hunger levels in Arab countries have reached their highest point in over 20 years, with approximately 77.5 million people—15.8% of the region's population—suffering from hunger, and nearly 198 million people facing varying levels of food insecurity, including about 77 million in a state of acute hunger. He noted that FAO's Global Emergency Appeal and Resilience Plan for 2026 represent a paradigm shift in addressing food crises, as they, for the first time, consolidate all humanitarian needs and resilience-building efforts within one comprehensive framework. It aims to mobilize $2.5 billion to support over 100 million people across 54 countries and regions, with special attention to the Near East and North Africa. He confirmed that FAO's future priorities focus on placing agriculture back at the center of crisis response, strengthening famine prevention, protecting agricultural seasons, and ensuring food production continuity. It also involves supporting sustainable solutions for forced displacement and restoring rural livelihoods, which requires flexible financing and long-term strategic partnerships to build resilience and prevent the recurrence of crises.
