Watch: UAE President visits International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture in Dubai

At the beginning of his tour, the UAE President planted a Ghaf tree, which is known for its ability to withstand difficult climatic and environmental conditions and has acquired a special symbolism in the history and identity of the UAE.

Sheikh Mohamed's tour included the outdoor area, which includes various trees that were especially planted and on which experiments were carried out, especially plants that tolerate salinity. The tour also included the Desert Life Sciences Laboratory, the Genebank and the Emirates Soil Museum.

The President listened to an explanation from ICBA officials about their most important achievements, national, regional and international partnerships and fields of work, in addition to their future research plans. The officials detailed the plans that include research on sustainable management of natural resources, irrigation efficiency, remote sensing, climate-adapted crops and genome research for healthier crops, among others.

The UAE President praised the efforts of the centre’s staff and the important role ICBA plays in one of the most important areas related to development in the UAE and the world - agriculture and water.

His Highness stressed that ICBA embodies the UAE's leading role in working to achieve sustainable development at the regional and global levels, by investing knowledge, innovation and scientific research in finding solutions to the challenges facing biosaline agriculture and soil problems. It is also innovating modern methods to optimally use water for agriculture, and developing agricultural strains capable of adapting under difficult environmental and climatic conditions.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said the UAE accords food security great priority in its development plans. Thus, it is interested in agriculture and the use of the latest scientific and technological methods to advance agriculture and increase productivity. He said the ICBA’s work confirmed the UAE's belief that science was the main way to tackle challenges facing humanity in various areas, especially agriculture and water.

At the end of his tour, His Highness expressed his best wishes to the centre's staff and management, and urged them to continue supplementing national agriculture, food security and water plans with more important ideas and innovations.

For her part, Mariam Almheiri said that the visit of Sheikh Mohamed to ICBA "reflects the extent of care, attention and support given by our wise leadership to the research, development and innovation system, and the extent of what this system represents. It serves as a strategic pillar to achieve our country’s goals in creating a better future for current and future generations".

She pointed out that the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, in cooperation with ICBA and other strategic partners in the public and private sectors, is keen to strengthen research, development and innovation capabilities to stimulate the pace of climate action, and to explore new solutions that help enhance food security.

Almheiri commended the efforts made by ICBA to support and enhance continued and effective research and development.

The centre has also developed and introduced 24 technologies and crops in around 30 countries. They range from improved genotypes of quinoa and Salicornia to drought monitoring solutions. Under its plant genetic resources programme, ICBA has distributed nearly 9,000 seed samples to scientists, farmers and other stakeholders in 57 countries.