‘World’s largest vertical farm’ to feed Middle East’s high-fliers

CNN  — 

Water scarcity in the UAE is second only to Kuwait in the Middle East, so when it comes to farming, a smart approach is required. Now high-tech, low-water agriculture is set for a new superlative with the announcement of the world’s largest vertical farm in Dubai – and the produce could soon be coming to a flight near you.

The 130,000-square foot, $40 million facility will begin construction in November, and is a joint venture between agri-tech firm Crop One Holdings and Emirates Flight Catering, suppliers of approximately 225,000 meals every day from its base at Dubai International Airport.

Emirates and Crop One say the facility will use 99% less water than outdoor fields, and once completed, aims to harvest 6,000 pounds of leafy greens daily, which will find their way into both in-flight meals and airport lounges from December next year.