Abu Dhabi’s agri-food and technology firm, Silal Group, has celebrated the graduation of the inaugural cohort from its “Future Innovators Program.” The initiative, run by the company’s R&D hub Innovation Oasis, is designed to build a specialized pipeline of Emirati talent to tackle challenges in the UAE’s agriculture and food sectors.
Quick Facts
- First cohort graduates from specialized AgriTech program.
- Participants were offered employment opportunities within Silal.
- Initiative supports UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051.
Building a Pipeline for Emirati AgriTech Talent
The Future Innovators Program provides emerging Emirati innovators with hands-on training, scientific knowledge, and practical field experience. Organized by the Advanced AgriTech Academy at Silal’s Innovation Oasis in Al Ain, the initiative represents a key collaboration between industry and academia. Partners include the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi (DGE), United Arab Emirates University, and Mawaheb.
Graduates who successfully completed the 2025–2026 program were offered employment at Silal Group, demonstrating the company’s commitment to retaining and developing local talent capable of navigating the future of food production.
Dr. Shamal, CEO of Innovation Oasis, commented on the program’s impact: “This program provides participating students with real-world experiences that strengthen the skills required to address challenges across various agricultural disciplines. Through direct training under the supervision of Innovation Oasis experts, laboratory work, field training, applied agricultural research, and advanced agritech innovations, the Future Innovators Program demonstrates our ongoing efforts to developing national capabilities.”
From Lab Management to Quinoa Flour: Graduate Innovations
During the graduation ceremony, the cohort presented several projects developed during the program. These concepts reflect the practical and commercially-minded focus of the training.
The projects included a Digital Lab Management Application to automate soil and water testing, an internal workflow app called “Agri Track” to centralize logistics and field data, and a concept for developing high-value quinoa flour from locally sourced crops.
About Silal Group
Silal Group was established in September 2020 to diversify food sources and stimulate manufacturing and distribution in the agri-food sectors in the UAE and beyond. Silal’s mandates include managing procurement programs and strategic foodstuff stocks. The company also executes specialized knowledge transfer programs on desert farming techniques and devises research and development projects.
Source: Zawya
