Agriculture Sector Contribution to GDP in United Arab Emirates (1990-2022)

The UAE's agriculture sector's contribution to GDP remained consistently low from 1990 to 2022, starting at 1.1% in 1990 and peaking at 2.3% in 1999 and 2000. This minimal impact is due to the UAE’s desert climate and limited arable land, which restricts large-scale agricultural production. Instead, the UAE has primarily invested in oil, real estate, and service industries, with agriculture remaining a minor focus.

Notably, the contribution declined further in the early 2000s, reaching 0.6% by 2012. However, a slight increase around 2016-2020, with a peak at 1.0% in 2020, reflects the UAE’s renewed focus on food security amid global supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic. This aligns with recent initiatives to invest in agri-tech, such as vertical farming, to enhance food resilience. Nonetheless, agriculture’s role remains minimal compared to the dominant oil and tourism sectors.