World Agri-Tech returned to Dubai on December 9-10, 2024, welcoming 250+ growers, agribusinesses, technology providers, start-ups and investors to exchange ideas, share experiences and forge new partnerships.

In the face of growing climate-related stresses effecting the region’s farmers, the summit saw two incredible days of high energy networking, impactful deep-dive presentations and thought-provoking panel discussions. 

Enjoy our short summary of the summit action complete with video highlights and photo gallery.

Save the date for next time: January 26-27, 2026! 

Relive the Action with the Photo Gallery

Who Joined Us?

Here is a snapshot of the industry leaders from the region and beyond who joined us in Dubai:

 

Highlights from the Stage

Bayer and Silal Sign Partnership Agreement

“This expanded framework brings together Bayer’s global expertise in sustainable agriculture with Silal’s deep understanding of local agricultural challenges, in support of the UAE’s visionary National Food Security Strategy 2051.”

Hugo Hagen, Senior Representative, Middle East, BAYER

Bolstering Food Security and Increasing Domestic Production

“There’s no net zero without agriculture. Today agriculture is one of the most scalable, affordable, and economically viable solutions to sequester carbon at scale… A grower in Africa shouldn’t be paid differently to a grower in Iowa if they sequester the same amount of carbon. Scaling technologies with the right capital and incentive from market participants can benefit the grower, the food we eat, and the resilience of the global food systems”

Nader Bekhouche, Senior Principal – Investment (Growth Equity), INVESTMENT CORPORATION OF DUBAI

Strengthening Partnerships between Farmers and High Value Markets

“When we are building our strategy 2030, we are approaching all stakeholders, including suppliers, to get their input on what is important and impactful for their business models so that we are both thriving in our partnership. We want to be close to suppliers, building strategic relationships rather than transactional, and creating joint roadmaps. ”

Dina Epifanova, Head of Sustainability, IFFCO GROUP

Exploring Challenges and Opportunities of Vertical Farms

“Focus on the product, it’s not about the technology and being able to grow something in a place it can’t normally grow, it’s about the crop in that market specifically, something specialty, something that is going to make money.”

Henry Gordon Smith, CEO, AGRITECTURE

Identifying the Silver Lining in Agri-Tech VC Funding

“We’re trying to solve agribusinesses biggest challenges and drive progress in developing countries. Themes that interest us are access to finance and markes, digital financial services, focussing on smallholder farmers and seeing how we can be part of that ecosystem – we need a scalable business where we can take an equity risk, we can provide the access to capital, we can be the convening authority and mobilise capital to do that.”

Santosh Vasudevan, Principal Investment Officer – Global Agribusiness, IFC

The Buzz on LinkedIn

What Our Delegates Say

“The World Agri-Tech Summit in Dubai exceeded my expectations in terms of content and networking—an outstanding platform that made connecting with the right people seamless and impactful!”

CEO, MISHKAT AGRITECH FARMS

“Thank you to Everyone! The session was valuable and much needed, I have enjoyed it a lot. The conference was insightful and extremely well organized!”

Co-Founder & Growth Director, BELOW FARM

“Very fantastic, highly curated audience. A lot of investors and start-ups, loved the application that has helped me to connect with many of the folks and members from the event. Very fantastic event”

Chief Innovation Officer, IIT ROPAR (iHub – AWaDH)

“A fabulous event filled with inspiring ideas, cutting-edge technologies, and thought-provoking discussions. I had the opportunity to connect with some of the most creative minds in the industry—visionaries who are transforming the way we grow, harvest, and sustain food for our global community.”

Projects Officer, INNOVATION OASIS – SILAL

 

The Summit in the News

AgTechNavigator: Overheard at World Agri-Tech Dubai: Talking points for the sector to ponder

READ THE ARTICLE

iGrow News: World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in Dubai Showcases Region’s Potential

READ THE ARTICLE

See You Next Time

After such a fantastic summit, we’re already excited to see how we can grow the conversations and networking opportunities for next time! Save the date now, and keep in touch with Marion Grimes if you’re interested in taking an active role as a summit partner, speaker or start-up showcase.