Dubai, UAE – 18 October 2024 - Following the kind invitation by Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of United Arab Emirates, for the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) to be institutional partner for the holding of the Global Food Security Summit (GFSS) as part of the Abu Dhabi Global Food Week to be held on 26-27 November 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Ambassador Berik Aryn, IOFS Director General, dispatched a Team composed of Mr. Abdula Manafi Mutualo, Chief Multilateral Affairs Officer, and Mr. Sofian Ben Mouaddeb, Chief Countries Affair Officer, to accordingly hold a series of strategic preparatory consultations with key stakeholders and authorities in the UAE.
The round of consultations started in Dubai on 16 October 2024 with Mr. Saleh Lootah, CEO of the IOFS subsidiary, the Islamic International Food Processing Association (IFPA) and Mr. Abdul Vaheed, Secretary General of the UAE Food and Beverage Business Group and the Director of IFPA Office in Dubai, with whom ideas were exchanged on how to use GFSS platform to identify and promote innovative solutions that can help Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) address their food security challenges through modern technologies, smart agriculture, and sustainable practices.
On the following day, the IOFS Team headed to Abu Dhabi to attend a meeting with the GFSS organizers, including senior officials from the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) and Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), towards contextualizing better the role the IOFS would be playing in its capacity as institutional partner. Additionally, it was agreed that there will be an “IOFS and Partners on Sustainable Food Pavilion” at the Abu Dhabi Global Food Week with participation of relevant OIC Institutions.
While in Abu Dhabi, the IOFS Team was received at the Office of Mr. Kayan Akram Jaff, Head of FAO’s Sub Regional Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Yemen, to explore collaborative approaches at the GFSS, including the possibility of holding a joint session on a theme of mutual interest.
On 18 October 2024, final day of the Mission, the IOFS Team was engaged in contributing towards strengthening the GFSS drafts Agenda and Working Program, with a focus on topics such as Smart Climate Agriculture, sustainable agriculture, investment in food production, and technological innovations to improve global food security and strategic commodities, particularly in the OIC Member States.
It should be noted that the GFSS will gather high-ranking officials from different countries, international development organizations, industry leaders, private sector, and global experts to discuss actionable strategies for achieving sustainable food systems and ensuring food security for all.
