In a bold push to export its farming expertise, Shouguang—China’s vegetable powerhouse—is partnering with UAE-based Silal to build a 100,000 sq. metre smart agriculture centre in the desert. With a joint investment of 120 million dirhams ($32.67 million), the facility in Abu Dhabi will trial high-tech farming under some of the world’s harshest conditions.
Powered by AI, robotics, smart greenhouses, and climate-adaptive infrastructure, the centre will grow crops like tomatoes, strawberries, and melons while piloting a full agri-ecosystem from seed to cold-chain logistics. It marks China’s latest Belt and Road export—not of roads, but of precision ag-tech.
“Abu Dhabi offers the ultimate stress-test for next-gen agriculture,” said Shouguang Group founder Yang Ming, while Silal CEO Saleem al-Ameri called it a model for the Gulf’s food future.
This project underscores China’s growing soft power in food security, as exports of agricultural machinery to Belt and Road countries surged 37.2 per cent in Q1 alone. As China’s farming tech hits first-tier global status, this desert-to-dinner-plate experiment may just be the next frontier.
