The leaders of the Gulf Arab states – where less than 2% of the land is cultivated and 85% of food is imported – seem to have dealt with this food crisis well prepared. The secret, analysts say, lies in their decades-long strategy for food security and resources. Qatar is the 24th country with the highest food security in the world since 2021, occupying the highest ranking among the Arab Gulf states, according to the World Food Safety Index. It is followed by Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain respectively. Saudi Arabia, the last among them, is ranked 44th.
The Gulf states are located in the arid parts of the Arabian Peninsula, unsuitable for large-scale agriculture due to high temperatures and water scarcity, the effects of which are increasingly exacerbated by climate change.
The Gulf states have no choice but to rely on imports, exposing themselves to the vulnerabilities of supply disruptions and price increases. While Gulf states have been planning for food security since the 1990s, the wake-up call came in 2008, analysts say, when import bills soared amid global inflation following that year’s financial crisis. Food supplies remained the same after some exporting countries issued export bans to secure their own supplies. The shock had a “strong impact on the region’s food and agricultural policy”, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Today, Gulf states are taking a different approach to self-sufficiency, especially as further food security concerns have been raised by the coronavirus pandemic. “It was a constant concern for the security of the government, given the heat and dry climate,” said Karen Young, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington. “But now, there are many other options and more money to pay for alternatives.”
From energy-efficient desalination plants and efficient agriculture to the growing hydroponic agriculture planted directly in nutrient-rich water and the controversial practice of buying agricultural land in export-oriented developing countries, the Gulf states are preparing for an emergency situation. strategy that served them well in the current crisis. One strategy that gained popularity and unwanted attention after 2008 was the purchase of cheap agricultural land abroad. Saudi Arabia was among the top Gulf states investing in overseas agriculture in countries such as Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia, after reducing wheat production by about 12.5% ​​per year in 2008 to save the kingdom’s scarce water supply. . The practice has been criticized by activists for allegedly denying poor farmers access to agricultural land and resources.
Some of these methods can be expensive and experts question their reliability and viability, especially in the wake of a potential food crisis that is spreading around the world.
“It is not clear that in the event of a real global food crisis, they could prevent exporting countries from imposing diets or banning exports even if they have assets in them,” said Steffen Hertog, an associate professor at the London School of Economics. In addition to food security strategies, the GCC states are in a much more financially viable position than their Middle Eastern neighbors, analysts say, and thus better able to prevent disruptions in food supply. “Inflation has fallen further in the Gulf because of the pegged currencies to the US dollar,” Young told CNN, adding that the recent unexpected gain from rising crude oil prices “creates a security reserve that holds these economies and governments in a better position. ” Food markets are also a lower percentage of consumer spending for most people in GCC countries compared to other economies in the region, Young says. The United Arab Emirates has dedicated an entire ministry to food security, launching a national food security strategy in 2018, which aims to place the country in the top 10 of the World Food Security Index by 2051. Planting superfoods resistant to Vertical indoor farms and smart greenhouses in the Dubai desert are just some of the UAE’s efforts to boost local production. Qatar, which in 2017 was the target of an economic embargo from neighboring countries, has launched a national food security strategy that focuses on resource diversification and emergency planning. Relying heavily on food imports from neighboring countries, with 400 metric tons of fresh milk and yogurt being imported daily through its border with Saudi Arabia, Qatar has resorted to building desert dairies to produce its own milk. Investments in dairy products, “although not necessarily competitive without state support, increase the country’s strategic autonomy from its neighbors,” Hertog said.
Food security has been one of the main causes of political unrest in the Middle East, especially in North Africa, where the 2011 Arab Spring uprising toppled long-standing regimes. “The GCC can be protected from the kinds of inflation we see in places like Turkey and Egypt,” said Yang, “who are putting pressure on their exchange rates to push local prices.” “So it is a much less economic issue for governments and certainly less of a political issue for the people.”

Digestion

Saudi Arabia records highest growth in a decade due to oil boom The Saudi economy grew by 9.6% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, achieving the highest growth rate since 2011, according to government data published in the state news agency of Saudi Arabia SPA.

Background: Extraordinary estimates of Saudi Arabia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate for the first quarter of 2022 showed the highest growth rate in the last decade, due to increased oil and non-oil activities, the SPA said. General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

Why it matters: Middle East oil exporters make money as oil prices soar after the Ukraine war add billions to their coffers. Saudi Arabia’s refusal to accelerate the growth of oil production beyond its agreement with OPEC + in the midst of a tighter market has revived its economy after an eight-year recession exacerbated by the pandemic.

Saudi Arabia feels “disappointed” with the US, says a senior king
Saudi Arabia is “disappointed” with the United States for addressing security threats from the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a senior member of the Saudi royal family, said on Sunday. former intelligence chief.

Background: Speaking to the Saudi news agency Arab News, Prince Faisal discussed Saudi Arabia and strained US relations amid what Gulf allies perceive as a declining security presence of Western power in the Middle East. “The Saudis see the relationship as a strategy, but (they feel) frustrated when we thought that America and Saudi Arabia should be together to face what we would consider common, not just irritating, but a threat to their stability and “Security in the region,” said Prince Turki al-Faisal, referring to the Houthi attacks.

Why it matters: Ties between Saudi Arabia and US President Joe Biden have been strained by several disagreements over oil production and regional security. The war in Ukraine has highlighted the differences between the two allies. Biden, who has so far refused to talk to the kingdom’s successor and de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman, has struggled to persuade Saudi Arabia to accelerate oil production growth beyond the OPEC + agreement (of which he is a member). is Russia), which could reduce prices. U.S. allies in the Middle East, most notably the Gulf monarchies and Israel, have also repeatedly expressed concern about a bold Iran following the nuclear deal, saying the United States needs to do more to counter the Houthi attacks.

Israeli security guard Palestinian killed amid ongoing tensions in West Bank An Israeli security guard was killed Friday at the entrance to Ariel, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. Shortly afterwards, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that Israeli forces had shot and killed a Palestinian in the village of Azzun in the North West Bank.

Background: An Israeli guard was shot and killed by two Palestinian gunmen who opened fire after arriving at the entrance of the settlement in a vehicle, the IDF said. In a video statement, the Palestinian group Al Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. Two Palestinians suspected of killing an Israeli guard have been arrested, Israeli security services said in a joint statement on Saturday. In the West Bank village of Azzun, a 27-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces in clashes that began shortly after the guard’s death.

Why it matters: The shootings came amid escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians since early March, after Israeli police entered the al-Aqsa compound earlier this month to deal with what it described as Palestinian riots that left of 200 injured, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. However, the celebrations at Al Aqsa Mosque were peaceful on Monday morning, as some 200,000 devout Muslims honored Eid al-Fitr with prayers.

Around the area

Dubai-based Palestinian-Egyptian Mohamed Sarour knew he succeeded as a musician when his tracks appeared on a successful Marvel television series.
Not only did he introduce a relatively new genre of Middle Eastern melodies to an audience of millions, but he also combined them with classical Arabic songs sung by generations before the region’s music industry giants. “Moon Knight” stars Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke and May Calamawy. Here is the story of a mild-tempered store clerk who discovers that he has an identity separation disorder and shares a body with a mercenary. The first and third episodes largely include music from the Arabic trap creations of Sarour, known as DJ Kaboo (trap is a sub-genre of hip-hop).
The two tracks used in the series, “Enta” and “Made in Egypt”, were released years before the show aired. It was…