Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the Supreme Organising Committee of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award has honoured 55 winners in its third edition, held under the theme Innovative Farmers and Breeders with a Sustainable Vision.
The awards ceremony, hosted at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, was attended by Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development and Managing Director of ADAFSA; His Excellency Dr Tariq Al Ameri, Director General of ADAFSA; and Her Excellency Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi, Chair of the Supreme Organising Committee of the Award, alongside senior officials, key stakeholders, media representatives, and influencers.
In her speech during the ceremony, Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak expressed her deep appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for his continuous support of the agricultural sector and his commitment to sustainable development and food security. She also praised His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s patronage of the award and his unwavering encouragement for farmers and breeders to excel and innovate.
Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak said: "Today, we celebrate the winners of this award, which embodies a bold vision to support and encourage farmers, livestock breeders, and commercial farms to adopt best agricultural practices and the latest technologies. This third edition has seen significant growth in both participation and quality, with more than 451 competitors across various categories, in addition to thousands of visitors engaging in the associated festivals and competitions dedicated to agriculture and sustainability."
Her Excellency emphasised that the award is more than just a recognition platform—it is an integral part of a comprehensive national strategy aimed at strengthening food security and agricultural sustainability, aligning with the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051 and the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy. She also highlighted the importance of fostering innovation and attracting young talent to the agricultural sector, commending the crucial role played by farmers and innovators in advancing environmental sustainability, water conservation, carbon emission reduction, and biodiversity protection.
In closing, Her Excellency congratulated all the winners of this edition, assuring participants who were not successful that their participation alone is an achievement and a step towards greater success and excellence in the future. She also commended the award’s supporters, including the Presidential Court, ADAFSA, and all those who contributed to solidifying its status.
Her Excellency Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi confirmed that the award has become a leading national platform for recognising excellence in agriculture and inspiring innovation. She highlighted that the third edition attracted an unprecedented 451 participants across 4 main categories and 13 subcategories.
Her Excellency Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi said: "This edition was marked by a diverse range of high-quality submissions, which underwent rigorous evaluation by specialised committees, including field visits to ensure that winners were selected based on the highest standards of fairness and transparency. The total prize value of AED10 million underscores our leadership’s commitment to honouring excellence in the agricultural sector."
Since its launch, the award has achieved remarkable success, with the first and second editions attracting 676 participants and awarding 107 winners with total prizes worth AED16.7 million—demonstrating its significant impact on agricultural excellence.
Her Excellency further emphasised the committee’s commitment to promoting the achievements of the winners by sharing their success stories and best practices, fostering knowledge exchange, and advancing modern agricultural methods to ensure long-term sustainability and enhanced food security at both local and regional levels. The award will continue its mission of inspiring innovation in plant and livestock agriculture, boosting the sector’s competitiveness, and driving sustainable economic development.
The award aims to strengthen collaboration between farmers, researchers, and agricultural professionals through workshops and scientific forums focused on raising awareness about modern agricultural technologies. Additionally, it seeks to promote the adoption of smart and innovative solutions that enhance productivity and crop quality while preserving natural resources for future generations. Through these efforts, the award contributes to building a comprehensive agricultural system that aligns with the UAE’s strategic vision for food security and sustainable development.
As for the winners, Faisal Salem Al Nuaimi secured first place in the Best Farm for Open Agriculture category, followed by Majid Muhair Al Ketbi in second place and Salem Issa Al Mazrouei in third place. In the Best Greenhouse Farm category, Saeed Meher Al Ketbi won first place, with Khamis Matar Al Mansouri coming in second, Hamed Ahmed Al Hamed in third, Mohammed Al Hameli in fourth, and Khamis Obaid Hamrin Al Dhaheri in fifth.
In the Best Fruit Production Farm category, Mohammed Shaml Al Mamari took first place, while Khalfan Humaid Al Mutaiwi secured second, Rashid Abdullah Al Murr claimed third, Shliwih Matar Al Mansouri came in fourth, and Hadef Mohammed Al Khaili finished in fifth. In the Best Organic Farm category, Sultan Saeed Al Shamsi secured first place, followed by Hilal Khamis Al Muraikhi in second, Salah Salem Al Shamsi in third, and Issa Mohammed Al Dabbous in fourth.
For Best Productive Animal Farm, Raya Salem Ali Al Lamki won first place, with Ghanem Sultan Al Suwaidi in second, Wael Sakhr Ali Al Musabi in third, Salmeen Faraj Al Kathiri in fourth, and Noura Khalifa Saeed Al Jabri in fifth. In the Best Small-Scale Producer category, Fish Farm LLC took first place, followed by Al Nayfat Arabian Farm in second, Al Musaddarat Sheep Farm in third, Marhab Farms in fourth, and Ali Al Kaabi Sheep Farm in fifth.
In the Best Beekeeper category, Mohammed Hadef Mohammed Al Nuaimi claimed first place, while Mohammed Hassan Ali Al Zaabi secured second. Third place went to Badr Batti Salem Al Shamsi, with Khalifa Saif Darwish Al Ketbi and Amal Abdullah Ahmed Al Hammadi taking fourth and fifth places, respectively. In the Aquaculture category, Gulf Aqua Culture won first place, followed by Agrioceanic Fish Farming L.L.C in second and Capital Agro Agricultural Production Farm in third.
For Agricultural Innovation in Plant and Animal Production, Sultan Mohammed Ghadeer Al Mazrouei secured first place, while Rashid Salim Rashid Al Ketbi came in second. Mohammed Shu’aib Al Hammadi was awarded third place, followed by Yislem Mubarak Ali Al Breiki in fourth and Fahem Salem Jassim Al Nuaimi in fifth.
In the Commercial Plant Farms category, Armela Farms won first place. In the Commercial Livestock Farms category, Emirates Bio Farm took first place, followed by Ruboo Remah Dairy Farm in second.
For the Outstanding Female Farmer category, Qamasha Saeed Al Mazrouei secured first place, with Maryam Khadem Al Mazrouei in second, Salima Sultan Al Shamsi in third, Ruwaiya Salem Al Darai in fourth, and Lameya Ali Al Saiqal in fifth. In the Outstanding Female Breeder category, Salma Salman Al Hinai claimed first place, while Huda Mubarak Mohammed Al Balushi secured second. Third place went to Maryam Mohammed Rashid Al Maqbali, with Maryam Mohammed Ghafan Al Jabri and Hadram Khamis Saeed taking fourth and fifth places, respectively.
The partners of the third edition of the award were also honoured, including the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, the Supreme Committee of the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, the media partner Abu Dhabi Media Network, Emirates News Agency (WAM), ADNEC Group, the Emirates Association of Poultry Breeders, and Lulu Group International.
