Prime Highlights
- ICBA’s AWLA programme has now graduated 79 Arab women agriculture leaders.
- AWLA Annual Award launched to honour outstanding Arab women in agriculture.
Key Facts
- ICBA is a UAE and Islamic Development Bank-established agriculture research centre.
- AWLA is supported by the Gates Foundation, UAE, and FAO.
Background
The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) has graduated the fourth cohort of the Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture Fellowship Programme (AWLA), bringing the total number of graduates since the programme’s launch to 79 women leaders across agriculture, research, innovation, and food security in the Arab region.
The graduation ceremony happened, along with the forum “Women Shaping Sustainable Agriculture in the Arab World”, at the same time as the International Year of Women Farmers 2026. The event was attended by Mohammed Saeed Sultan Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, along with representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Gates Foundation.
Al Nuaimi said empowering female farmers, researchers, and leaders within food security systems was critical to global progress. He added that equipping women with the necessary resources and technologies had proven to boost agricultural yields and help lift communities out of hunger.
ICBA Director General Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi said the graduation reflected the value of investing in women leaders who can connect scientific knowledge with practical application and translate research into solutions that support sustainable agriculture across the region.
During the forum, fellows presented research projects covering date palm production, soil health, water-efficient crop production, and agri-food innovation. The event also saw the announcement of the AWLA Annual Award, which will recognise outstanding achievements by women in agriculture, research, and innovation across the Arab world.
The AWLA programme is supported by the Gates Foundation and was developed in collaboration with the UAE government and the FAO. ICBA was established by the UAE government and the Islamic Development Bank as an international not-for-profit applied research centre focused on sustainable agriculture in arid and saline environments.
