Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (LIWA)
An extra pair of hands has always been a big help for farmers and, these days in the UAE, that hand could be AI. Technology can now grade a date's quality in seconds, catch defects the eye might miss, and keep digital farm records that were once written in logbooks.
At this year's Liwa Dates Festival, innovators showcased how automation and digital platforms are transforming the UAE's agriculture industry, from the farm to the market.
One such innovation, TamraScan, is an AI-powered platform that can assess the quality of dates at a speed of up to 80 dates per second. Its inventor, Hadef Salem Al Hameli - also founder of Nuwa Hub - won the Agriculture Sector Award at the 2nd Khalifa Fund Entrepreneurship Competition for the app.
Speaking to Aletihad, Al Hameli said the idea emerged after identifying one of the biggest challenges facing the date sector.
"We observed that a significant portion of date variety identification and quality assessment still relies on visual inspection and individual experience."
He explained that while the expertise of specialists remains invaluable, assessments can vary from one evaluator to another, particularly when dealing with large quantities.
To address this, TamraScan combines calibrated imaging with AI to identify varieties, assess quality, detect defects, and generate digital records that support farmers, receiving centres, factories, and festivals.
Despite the advanced technology behind TamraScan, Al Hameli stressed that the platform is intended to strengthen, not replace, human expertise.
"Our goal is to provide a smart tool that documents this expertise, expands its scope of application, and brings advanced technologies closer to the farmer and more relevant to their daily needs."
He believes the technology can raise the quality of Emirati dates and improve their competitiveness in international markets by introducing more consistent standards, strengthening traceability, supporting food safety requirements, and increasing consumer confidence.
"Under controlled testing conditions, the prototype achieved an accuracy of approximately 99.6% in variety identification and approximately 91% in quality classification, with rapid, real-time processing," he said.
Al Hameli and his Nuwa Hub team participated in the festival through the pavilion of the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development.
Seeing the potential of TamraScan, the innovator has set a bigger ambition: "To develop a national database for Emirati dates that includes current and new varieties and links crop quality to the season, climatic conditions, and agricultural practices."
Mapping Trees, Keeping Digital Records
Another tool, Smart Palm, is helping farmers manage their operations more efficiently. The app replaces traditional record-keeping with a comprehensive digital management system, according to its founder Ali Rashid Al Mansoori.
He explained that through this solution, farmers can map every palm tree, assign a number for each, and access its complete history - including its variety, planting date, production records and previous treatments.
Artificial intelligence enhances the system by enabling early disease detection and treatment recommendations.
"The app includes an AI-powered diagnosis feature. Farmers simply take a photo of a palm tree, and the system identifies possible diseases, generates a diagnostic report and recommends an appropriate treatment plan," Al Mansoori said.
Beyond monitoring trees, the application helps farmers oversee irrigation, production and day-to-day farm operations.
"The platform provides seasonal reminders, dashboards showing water requirements, production levels and the health status of all palm trees."
According to Al Mansoori, Smart Palm brings every aspect of palm cultivation together within a single digital platform.
"Based on our research, it is the first application of its kind dedicated to the complete management of palm farms, allowing farmers to manage their farms and receive intelligent reminders throughout the agricultural seasons."
Making Farmers' Produce More Accessible
Beyond the farm, another innovation - called Landscaper - is helping farmers reach the market more easily.
Abdullah Al Salami, CEO of Landscaper, said the Emirati platform was created after identifying a major challenge facing local producers.
"We noticed that many farmers wanted to sell their products but did not have an easy or affordable marketplace, so we created a simple platform that connects producers with consumers."
Since its launch, the platform has expanded well beyond dates to support a wider agricultural ecosystem.
"We have expanded to include livestock, agricultural machinery, farmland and other agriculture-related products, and we plan to gradually add food products," Al Salami said.
Artificial intelligence has also become an important part of the platform, helping farmers make better decisions and improving customer service.
"We use artificial intelligence to analyse listings and recommend the most suitable locations for different crops and agricultural products."
Ultimately, Al Salami said, the goal is to make locally produced agricultural products more accessible while supporting the UAE's sustainability ambitions.
"Our goal is to support the UAE's vision for agriculture and sustainability by making local products easier to access through one platform that brings together farmers, nurseries, agricultural businesses and producers."
