Construction has begun on a “GigaFarm” in Dubai, a 900,000-sq-ft project which will contain 200 vertical farming towers designed with a closed-loop ecosystem designed to maximise resource efficiency and prevent waste.
Located in Dubai’s state-run Food Tech Valley, the farm’s first phase includes opening 20 towers by the summer of 2026. It is a project overseen by British-based business Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) and the UAE’s ReFarm Global Investments.
When completed, the site will be able to grow around 3 million kilos of produce annually and will divert 50,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill through regenerative farming technologies.
The GigaFarm’s produce will fulfil the equivalent of one percent of the country’s fresh produce imports.
Oliver Christof, ReFarm’s chief executive, called it “the world’s first fully integrated regenerative food ecosystem”.
“By bringing together food production, resource recovery, water sovereignty, artificial intelligence, and circularity in one location, we are demonstrating how future cities can produce food locally while reducing waste, conserving resources and regenerating the environment.
“What begins in Dubai will serve as a blueprint for the future of food production worldwide.”
IGS chief executive Andrew Lloyd said: “Through British engineering and cutting-edge controlled-environment technology, we’re delivering a system that is scalable, supports resource efficiency and strengthens long-term food security for the UAE.”
The GigaFarm’s first crops are due to be harvested later this year.
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