Dubai: The United Arab Emirates will chair the 38th session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Conference for the Near East (NERC38), hosting the ministerial meeting on 21st April in Al Ain.

The event, held alongside the second edition of the Emirates Agriculture Conference and Exhibition, highlights the UAE’s leading role in advancing sustainable agricultural and food systems across the region.

The announcement was made during the Senior Officers’ Preparatory Meeting, a key stage for setting technical and policy foundations, discussing challenges and formulating recommendations to be adopted at the ministerial meeting. The conference is held under the theme “Innovating for Transforming Agrifood Systems” and aims to align regional priorities and strengthen cooperation over the next two years.

Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, chaired the preparatory meeting, which brought together more than 200 representatives from countries across the Near East and North Africa.

Discussions focused on strengthening supply chains, diversifying food sources, improving logistics and leveraging innovative solutions to enhance food security and system resilience.

Al Nuaimi said the region faces unprecedented challenges affecting food supply chains, including climate change, water scarcity and land limitations, compounded by current geopolitical developments that require coordinated and rapid responses.

He reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to advancing sustainable agricultural systems through innovation and technology, noting that the country aims, through its presidency of the conference, to drive innovative solutions and deepen cooperation with FAO and regional partners.

For his part, Abdulhakim Elwaer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, stressed the urgency of coordinated action to strengthen agrifood systems amid pressures such as climate change, water scarcity, economic volatility and conflict.

He noted that the region is at a critical juncture, with overlapping crises disrupting supply chains and undermining food security and livelihoods, making coordinated political action essential.

According to FAO data, around 77.5 million people in the Near East and North Africa—equivalent to 15.8 percent of the population—experienced hunger in 2024, while four in ten faced moderate or severe food insecurity.

The region is also the most water-scarce globally, with agriculture consuming about 85 percent of freshwater withdrawals, while up to one-third of food produced worldwide is lost or wasted.

Despite these challenges, countries in the region are advancing efforts to improve water management, promote climate-resilient agriculture and adopt digital technologies to enhance productivity and decision-making.

The outcomes of the preparatory meeting will help shape the ministerial discussions and support coordinated regional action towards more efficient, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems.