Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, UAE
As the GCC region undergoes an unprecedented urban transformation, with new megaprojects reshaping skylines in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai, one critical system remains overlooked in masterplans: FOOD.
Despite ambitions to become leaders in smart cities, the Gulf continues to build urban environments that are largely disconnected from the systems that feed them. The region imports over 80% of its food, making it highly vulnerable to global shocks. At the same time, the urban development pipeline is booming, with hundreds of billions of dollars committed to futuristic cities that claim to be sustainable, but lack embedded food systems.
Urban agriculture, integrating food production into cities, offers a powerful tool to bridge this gap. Yet, the opportunity remains largely untapped in the GCC.
Image source: https://bigpicturehuntsville.com/policies/urban-agriculture/
Modern urban agriculture is not about hobby gardens or aesthetic green roofs. It’s about controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), high-yield hydroponics, rooftop and vertical farming, aquaponics, and regenerative landscape design, technologies and strategies that produce food where it’s consumed.
These systems use up to 95% less water than conventional agriculture, are scalable within cities, and align directly with regional sustainability priorities, from the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. But critically, they also create new real estate value and resilience.
For developers and architects, this is a chance to design smarter, more profitable buildings—where food is part of the infrastructure, not an afterthought.
Despite the clear benefits, most new GCC urban developments—whether residential, commercial, or mixed-use—are not including urban food systems at the design phase. The result: cities that continue to rely on long, fragile supply chains, waste rooftop potential, and lose out on value-add opportunities.
This is not for lack of technology. The region is already home to world-class indoor farms. The issue is integration—connecting these systems to urban masterplans.
At Agritecture, we work with governments, real estate developers, and architecture firms to embed food production into the design of cities. Our feasibility assessments, design support, and policy advising help ensure that urban agriculture is a value-generating asset from day one.
While the full potential of urban agriculture in the GCC remains unrealized, there are projects that offer valuable proof points—and lessons for scaling.
At 330,000 square feet, Bustanica is the world’s largest vertical farm. Located near Al Maktoum International Airport and backed by Emirates Flight Catering and Crop One Holdings, it produces over 1 million kg of leafy greens annually using 95% less water than traditional farming.
It’s a technological feat, but operates independently of urban planning. It serves airline catering and retail, but is not integrated into residential or mixed-use developments. The question remains: why isn’t this being replicated within the city’s core?
Bustanica: The world’s largest hydroponic vertical farm
One of the GCC’s few examples of a masterplanned community that includes food production, The Sustainable City features biodomes, community gardens, and rooftop greenhouses. It has proven the value of integrating food, water, and waste systems in residential environments.
However, its success has not translated into replication at scale across other developments, despite clear environmental and market appeal.
Madar Farms operates one of the GCC’s most advanced vertical farms at Khalifa Industrial Zone (KIZAD), using high-efficiency LED lighting and hydroponic systems to grow tomatoes and microgreens in a desert climate. The facility serves restaurants and supermarkets across urban Abu Dhabi.
While technically in an industrial zone, Madar demonstrates a working model for high-tech, water-efficient food production directly serving urban populations. This kind of urban-adjacent CEA could easily be adapted into real estate projects—from rooftop farms on commercial buildings to decentralized farming hubs within mixed-use districts.
As cities get smarter, their food systems must follow. The food-water-energy-waste nexus is not a theoretical concept—it’s a design challenge and business opportunity that GCC cities can solve with the right partners and frameworks.
Integrating urban agriculture into city planning will:
But for this to happen, we need a shift in how food is viewed by planners and policymakers.
Urban agriculture in the GCC currently lacks formal zoning codes, building incentives, or infrastructure support. Without a clear regulatory path, most developers avoid the risk or complexity of integrating food systems.
We respectfully urge municipal authorities and national planning bodies to:
Governments have the opportunity to catalyze an entirely new layer of urban infrastructure—if they move quickly and decisively.
Agritecture has supported over 200 clients in 40+ countries on urban agriculture strategy, planning, and implementation. In the GCC, we are actively helping developers and governments turn sustainability ambition into action.
We provide:
As the GCC defines its urban future, the question is not whether urban agriculture fits—but how fast we can bring it to scale.
If you're a real estate developer, architect, or policymaker in the Gulf, now is the time to explore what food production can do for your project—and your city.
📩 Contact Agritecture to explore urban agriculture strategies that work—for people, profit, and the planet.