Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Ten years ago, UAE beekeepers faced near-certain loss every summer: nine out of 10 colonies perished under the desert heat. The losses left beekeepers dependent on imports and raised questions about whether honey production could ever take root locally.
That cycle was broken when researchers at the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) built a homegrown breeding programme from scratch.
Today, survival rates top 96%, proving the desert can sustain its own honey.
During a panel discussion at Global Food Week 2025 on Wednesday, Dr. Ihsan Joma, Lead Researcher at ADAFSA, shared the team’s journey, which began by trying to understand why the bees were dying. Four key issues emerged: Varroa mite infestations, poor forage availability, lack of a local bee breed adapted to UAE conditions, and extreme heat stress.
ADAFSA’s response was a four-pillar research programme combining technology, breeding, nutrition, and beekeeper training aimed at improving colony survival.
Breeding the ‘Emirati Bee’
To address the heat stress challenge facing local beekeepers, ADAFSA’s researchers turned their focus to genetics.
Because the UAE lacks a native breed adapted to its harsh climate, the team began evaluating several imported races of Apis mellifera, explained Dr. Saad Al Masari, an agriculture research expert at ADAFSA.
These included Carniolan bees from Jordan, Arabian bees (A. m. yemenitica) from Saudi Arabia, and Italian bees (A. m. ligustica) from Australia, as well as Egyptian hybrids. Each was tested for resilience, honey yield, and disease resistance.
The results led to a locally adapted hybrid — a cross between the Arabian and Italian bees that became the foundation for what ADAFSA now calls the “Emirati bee”.
A critical stage in the breeding programme involved working with drones, the male honeybees, Dr. Al Masari noted.
Because drones develop from unfertilised eggs, they are haploid, carrying only the queen’s DNA. This means their genetic material comes entirely from the mother, allowing researchers to work with pure lines.
By selectively breeding Arabian bee drones with chosen queens, the team successfully produced a second generation of bees specifically adapted to the UAE’s climate.
A decade later, the programme has produced 10 generations of Emirati bees, yielding over 22,000 queens, with 18,000 distributed to beekeepers across the country.
Keeping the Hive Healthy
Dr. Joma stressed that both nature and nurture are essential in this process.
Alongside selective breeding, the team developed management practices to optimise nutrition and disease control.
Varroa mites and Nosema – two of the most destructive bee pathogens – remain a threat to honeybee colonies in the UAE. To combat them, researchers tested thymol-based and natural treatments to replace antibiotics.
While complete elimination of Varroa is impossible, applying treatments at the right time can significantly reduce their impact, Dr. Joma noted.
To ensure the production of chemical-free honey, beekeepers are trained to use natural products like honey vinegar, lactic acid, and oxalic acid to treat hives before and after the honey production season.
The timing is critical, according to Dr. Al Masari. After the honey is extracted, the bees’ immune system weakens. That’s when Nosema attacks the gut, he explained. If the hives are treated using these natural products, antibiotics can be entirely avoided, resulting in the production of high-quality pure honey.
Poor forage has also long plagued UAE beekeepers, especially during the summer months. ADAFSA developed nutritional supplements from native resources, ensuring colonies receive essential nutrients year-round.
The UAE’s targeted efforts to breed climate-resilient bees and promote sustainable beekeeping practices align with global agricultural priorities.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), pollinators such as bees, birds, and bats contribute to 35% of the world’s crop production by volume, enhancing the yield of 87 of the 115 major food crops.
