Agriculture and Land Use in the Persian Gulf

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven Persian Gulf monarchies that was constituted in 1971 after more than a century under a British protectorate. Located in the Arabian Peninsula, the UAE borders Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman by land as well as Iran by sea. The country is small, with a total territory of 83.600 square kilometers, which is somewhat larger than South Carolina. A flat desert with sand dunes as well as mountains towards the east dominate the country. Likewise, the UAE has a total population of almost 10 million; however, the majority of them are not UAE citizens. It estimated that 86% of the population lives in an urban setting notably Dubai, with some 2.5 million inhabitants, and the capital city of Abu Dhabi, with 1.2 million inhabitants. The national annual gross domestic product (GDP) of the UAE is about US$660 billion (PPP) and it has experienced positive economic growth upwards of 2.0% in recent years. The Emirati economy is divided into 1% agriculture, 45% manufacturing, and 54% services. Similarly, it is estimated that the agricultural industry employs 7% of the national labor force, while manufacturing employs 15% and services employ another 78%. Meanwhile, the agriculture industry utilizes 5% of the national territory, while another 4% is forested.

Agriculture and Land Use in the Persian Gulf

In terms of natural resources, the UAE has petroleum and natural gas. Within manufacturing, the national industry is focused on petrochemicals, fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, and textiles. Likewise, an important sector of the economy is devoted to the services and tourism industries. Simultaneously, the country’s agricultural industry has as main products dates, vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and fish. During 2015, the UAE imported US$217 billion worth of goods and exported US$147 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of US$70 billion. Furthermore, that same year, the UAE’s main export, representing 32% or US$47 billion of the country’s total, was crude petroleum. Similarly, the country’s main import, representing 6.6% or US$14.2 billion of all international purchases, was broadcasting equipment, such as television sets and radios. In terms of trade, the UAE is a member of the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which seeks to coordinate regional policy and further integrate its member economies. Likewise, the UAE’s main trade partners are China, Oman, India, the European Union, the United States, and Japan.

Land distribution and output in the UAE have also evolved throughout the last half century. Back in 1961, permanent pastures and meadows in the country covered 200.000 hectares, while arable land represented 5.000 hectares and permanent crops accounted for 3.000 hectares. More recently, by 2014, permanent pastures and meadows accounted for 305.000 hectares, while arable land represented 37.500 hectares and permanent crops covered almost 40.000 hectares. Similarly, in 1977, the cereals market in the UAE utilized 12 hectares of land and yielded almost 12.000 metric tons annually. Finally, in 2014, the country devoted approximately 1.850 hectares of land to cereals production and yielded little over 419.000 metric tons.

(Read more about Fruit Trade and Agribusiness in Costa Rica)