In his opening address to the conference, Mohammed bin Hadi Al-Husseini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, stressed that food security is one of the strategic pillars of sustainable economic development in the Arab world, and requires comprehensive approaches based on the integration of financial policies, the stimulation of long-term investment, and the adoption of innovation as a key element to enhance productivity and sustainability and build more resilient food systems.
He added that financial policies play a pivotal role in creating a supportive environment for agricultural and food investment, through the development of innovative financing tools and the encouragement of partnerships between the public and private sectors, which contributes to directing capital towards projects with a sustainable economic and developmental impact, and enhances the efficiency of food supply chains and their ability to adapt to changes.
He explained that enhancing Arab food security requires deepening cooperation between Arab countries and institutions, integrating initiatives, and exchanging experiences and expertise, stressing the importance of the role played by specialized Arab institutions in supporting agricultural investment, reducing the food gap, and building a more integrated and sustainable Arab food system.
Younis Haji Al Khouri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, and His Excellency Dr. Obaid Saif Hamad Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development, launched the first Food Security Index in the Arab world in partnership with Azimut Group and S&P Global. It is the first financial index in the region that monitors the performance of companies operating in the food sector, providing investors with a transparent and standardized analytical tool that enhances the flow of capital towards this vital sector.
The conference witnessed a number of speeches that addressed the reality of food security, and the importance of investment, innovation and institutional integration. His Excellency Abdullah Suleiman Al-Sheikh Sidiya, Minister of Economic Affairs and Development in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Chairman of the Board of Shareholders of the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development, stressed that the convening of the conference on “Initiatives to Achieve Food Security in the Arab World” embodies an advanced Arab awareness that food security has become a pillar of national sovereignty in light of the accelerating global challenges.
He explained that the conference addresses the food security system with a comprehensive vision based on sustainability, including investment, production, innovation and marketing.
He pointed to the importance of bringing together decision-makers, experts and researchers on one platform to promote Arab investment integration and cooperation, expressing his hope that the conference's outcomes would contribute to supporting Arab food security and achieving sustainable development.
For his part, Dr. Obaid Saif Hamad Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development, affirmed that the conference is being held at a pivotal stage coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the Authority’s founding. He pointed to the launch of the Authority’s new corporate identity and reviewed four strategic axes that constitute a roadmap for the next stage, aiming to bridge the Arab food gap and enhance food security on integrated investment and development foundations. These include developing benchmark indicators for food security, digital transformation through the implementation of an advanced electronic platform project, launching a fund to finance small farmers and fishermen as a permanent platform in partnership with international financing institutions, in addition to enhancing regional integration and supporting food sovereignty by deepening our investments in strategic markets.
For his part, Dr. Conrad Rein, Director of the Innovation Commission for Climate Change and Food Security and Secretary of the Leading Global Initiative for Food Security, explained that sustainability represents the basic path to achieving long-term food security, stressing the importance of relying on scientific solutions, strengthening international partnerships, and expanding the scope of successful initiatives that can be widely applied.
The opening session concluded with the honoring of the winning scientific research within the various themes of the conference, which were evaluated by specialized scientific arbitration committees, in support of scientific research and to encourage researchers to present quality studies that contribute to the development of the sector and enhance food security in the Arab world, in addition to honoring the sponsors of the conference in appreciation of their contributions to supporting and sponsoring the conference.
The conference was attended on behalf of the UAE Ministry of Finance, in addition to His Excellency Mohammed bin Hadi Al-Husseini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, and His Excellency Younis Haji Al-Khouri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, by His Excellency Saeed Rashid Al-Yateem, Assistant Undersecretary for the Budget and Government Revenue Sector, and His Excellency Ali Abdullah Sharafi, Assistant Undersecretary for International Financial Relations.
The two-day conference will include six main themes: Arab efforts to achieve food security; agricultural investment and financing initiatives and economic development; investment and financing initiatives in the production of basic food commodities; investment initiatives in food processing and trade; innovation and modern technology initiatives in the agricultural sector; and investment initiatives in agricultural companies' investment portfolios.
The conference also included a number of specialized dialogue sessions, in addition to research sessions. The first session, entitled “Presenting Visions on Initiatives to Achieve Food Security in the Arab World,” addressed the themes of Arab efforts and successful experiences in agricultural investment.
The conference also witnessed parallel dialogue sessions, including a roundtable entitled “Challenges and Ways to Achieve Sustainable Food Security”, which discussed practical challenges and sustainable solutions to enhance food security, with the participation of a select group of representatives from the public and private sectors, and experts and researchers from Arab and international institutions.
The second roundtable, entitled “Investment and Agricultural Finance for Economic Development Purposes”, addressed the role of financing policies and financial institutions in supporting the agricultural sector, and reviewed financing mechanisms and the importance of investment in achieving sustainable economic development, with the participation of experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The second day of the conference featured discussions of 67 distinguished research papers across the conference themes. These papers were presented in 12 parallel sessions, primarily focused on discussing initiatives related to the conference themes. Closing sessions were also held to present summaries of the discussions and key messages, and to formulate final recommendations.
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