Prime Aquaculture, a subsidiary of Emirates National Aquaculture, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) to build the region's first shrimp RAS farm.

The farm, which is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2023, includes a shrimp farm, a hatchery unit and a primary and secondary treatment unit. 

Prime Aquaculture will integrate the latest farm technologies to ensure the highest quality of production. The farm will produce more than a thousand metric tons annually, which is more than three times the current production volume of shrimp in the UAE.

Imtiaz Abdul Razzaq Kalsikar, general manager of Prime Aqua Culture, said that “the UAE consumes approximately 220,000 tons of seafood annually, of which includes 70% imports, and self-sufficiency is one of the main pillars of the national strategy for food security in the UAE. The great importance of local food production has emerged during the pandemic and travel restrictions, so we decided, in the Emirates National Aquaculture Company, to contribute to enhancing the food security of the country, by doubling the volume of current aquaculture production during the next three years. We consider the establishment of our shrimp farm in the Jebel Ali Free Zone a major step towards achieving the goal of food self-sufficiency in the country.”