Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
From smarter irrigation to healthier livestock, AI could reshape how UAE farms operate.
At Global Food Week 2026, Aletihad asked Emirati farmers on how AI could help boost yields and transform agriculture.
Ahmed Alhefeiti, the founder of Wadi Dafta Plantation, said he would like AI to serve as a digital guide at his educational and agritourism farm.
“I want AI to be like a tour guide on my farm. I want every tree to be able to speak,” he said. “You could ask a tree what type it is, and it could tell you what it produces and provide simple information about itself.” He said sensors combined with AI could also help identify the needs of individual plants.
“You could ask about the water, and it could say it needs more or less water,” he said, adding that AI could also support irrigation, fertilisation and soil analysis.
“In the future, there are many things AI can do to serve agriculture and farmers,” he said.
Saleh Almarsoori - Saleh Bin Yarouf Almarsoori Farm (a fruit and date farm), sees AI playing a role in making hydroponic farming more precise.
His farm produces around 65 products using hydroponic systems, including olives, pineapples and dates.
“We hope AI can help by giving us the doses we need for different fruits,” he said.
He also hopes to use AI to manage fertilisation according to plants’ needs throughout the growing season.
“We will add AI to give us fertilisation programmes throughout the season,” he said, explaining that fertiliser use could be reduced during periods when date palms are not producing.
Abdullah Alhammadi, from Tamur AlSila, who produces dates and honey, said AI could support both farm management and the business side of agriculture.
“I think AI will help us in agriculture and marketing, as well as with things such as irrigation and setting specific watering times,” he said.
In poultry farming, Mohamed Alhammadi, Owner of Sweihan Reef Poultry said AI could provide farmers with a clearer picture of their birds’ health and behaviour.
“We are currently working on introducing technology into poultry farming through an integrated system of cameras that monitor the chickens’ movement, how much feed they eat and how much water they drink,” he said.
The collected data could be analysed by AI to detect potential health problems and help farmers determine what action is needed.
“AI can analyse this data and tell me the best way to address a disease, or what vaccinations, medicines or vitamins the chickens need,” he said.
He added that continuous AI-powered monitoring could help farmers detect problems earlier, reduce poultry losses and limit human error.
“No matter what, a person cannot notice everything, but with AI and cameras monitoring the poultry, the system will be better,” Alhammadi said.
