The strong presence of Emirati women at the Emirates Agriculture Conference and Exhibition 2026 reflects their deeply rooted role in supporting the country’s agricultural and food development journey. Their contributions have grown beyond mere participation, becoming a driving innovation and embedding modern agricultural practices that speak directly to the country’s future ambitions and food security goals.
Amid the pavilions, projects, and products on display, Emirati women are taking the lead, demonstrating their increasing influence in the agricultural sector. Whether by improving local products, embracing more sustainable production methods, or turning agricultural ideas into entrepreneurial ventures with economic and social impact, their presence highlights a growing path of empowerment and meaningful contribution.
It’s a trajectory shaped by a national vision that prioritises food security and sustainability. Participants in the second edition of the Emirates Agriculture Conference and Exhibition echoed this sentiment, pointing to Emirati women’s growing role in agriculture and food sectors, and new horizons for entrepreneurship tied to food security.
They noted that the innovative women-led projects on display reflect a deep agricultural awareness and a remarkable ability to turn ideas into impactful initiatives. In doing so, these women farmers are boosting the competitiveness of homegrown products and pushing the UAE closer to a food system that is both efficient and built to last.
A standout female-led initiative this year is the Shiyoukhi for dates, founded by Maitha Almehrzi. The project transforms dates into innovative and modern products while maintaining their nutritional value and promoting their place in a healthy local food culture.
Almehrzi said, “Today, Emirati women are not filling traditional roles in agriculture but come as creative minds redefining the relationship between land and people. For us, production is not an end but a starting point for building a more conscious and sustainable food system.
By combining knowledge with experience, and heritage with modern technology, we turn challenges into real business models, transforming agriculture from a seasonal activity into a forward-thinking, integrated project that bolsters food security for future generations.” Elsewhere at the exhibition, Fatma Almoosawi, Founder of Releaf By Ygnd El-Ras, brings a unique perspective on tea as a product with identity, purpose, and value.
Almoosawi, the UAE’s first tea expert and the creator of the country’s first eco-friendly tea brand, is also a member of the UAE Youth Council for Entrepreneurship. “My journey started with my family’s love of tea, but it quickly grew into a greater responsibility for what we bring to the world”, she added.
“To me, tea is not just a product but an experience that carries identity, purpose, and value. This inspired the creation of ‘Releaf,’ which blends innovation with sustainability and proves that Emirati women entrepreneurs can turn small ideas into distinctive, eco-conscious brands that look to the future without losing touch with their roots.” The presence of women at the exhibition highlights that their empowerment in the agriculture is not just about increasing participation but also about creating broader economic and social impact.
Women-led agricultural and food projects support local products, create training and employment opportunities, and raise community awareness of the value of national production. They also grow the footprint of homegrown products in the marketplace.
Salima Alshamsi, BINZAYED_0, speaks to this directly. For her, farming has long since transcended the boundaries of production.
“Managing Lulu Farm taught me that empowering women in this sector does not just affect the success of a single project; it reaches further, touching communities through job creation, encouraging people to rely on local products, and building a more meaningful relationship between farmer and consumer,” she said.
“What we do today is part of a larger vision using resources more sustainably, contributing to food security, and embedding a culture of responsible local production.” Taken together, these experiences illustrate how Emirati women have become central to a wider movement that is redefining the relationship between agriculture and development, local products and the economy, and innovation and sustainability.
Most notably, they also demonstrate how women are lifting agricultural expertise from the realm of individual practice into a space of genuine economic and social impact. Women’s participation goes beyond conventional production, extending to the use of modern techniques and sustainable farming methods for efficiency.
From smart irrigation and hydroponics to organic practices and value-added product development, they are embracing advanced models that reflect a sound understanding of modern agriculture and the importance of optimising natural resources.
Seddiqa Ghuloum, founder of BEEBITE — a project specialising in organic beeswax products — connects this ethos to something even more fundamental to building awareness in the next generation. “I make a point of involving my daughter Hamda in every aspect of the project,” she explained.
“I want her to comprehend entrepreneurship and realise that innovation is a responsibility that starts in childhood. I would like to think I am contributing something meaningful and helping to raise a generation that is ready to carry this country forward and keep building a more sustainable and innovative sector.” The momentum Emirati women have brought to this year’s Emirates Agriculture Conference and Exhibition spotlights their role as leaders and changemakers.
Women are actively shaping where agriculture is headed, developing its products, and breaking new ground in food and farming entrepreneurship. And as technologies like artificial intelligence, urban farming, agricultural data analytics, and digital marketing become standard tools of the trade, the scope for women to build ventures that are more competitive, more far-reaching, and more resilient, across both local and regional markets, will continue to expand.
The Emirates Agriculture Conference and Exhibition 2026 ultimately offers a clear and compelling picture that Emirati women are at the heart of an agricultural transformation. Not merely as producers or entrepreneurs, but as architects of a more conscious, sustainable, and capable food system.
The inspiring models they present prove that empowering women in agriculture has become an inseparable part of the food security equation and the long-term sustainability of local production in the United Arab Emirates.
