UAE firms have invested in a 1k-acre farm in Zakho, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, valued at more than IQD 4.4 bn (AED 12 mn), as part of a series of agricultural projects in the area, Abdulrahman Abdullah, spokesman for Zakho’s General Directorate of Investment told Kurdistan24.

The details: Launched in 2023 and set for completion in 2025, the farm is cultivating maize, wheat, rice, chickpeas, figs, and melons, and has already produced around 600 tons of wheat and 27 tons of beans, according to Abdullah.

The projects follow the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Masrour Barzani’s visit to the UAE last February, where he encouraged Emirati investors to expand into the region during talks with Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

REMEMBER- UAE firms have been ramping up their global agricultural investments. Abu Dhabi-based Al Dahra invested some USD 250 mn in Egypt’s agrifoods industry and is deploying USD 230 mn more as the UAE builds out a global food security platform. The ADQ-backed agribusiness also previously inked an agreement to operate and manage up to 200k acres of irrigated farmland in Galana Kulalu, Kenya.

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