ADQ, Korean startup plan pilot shrimp farming facility in Kezad

ABU DHABI/WAM

ADQ has partnered with Aqua Development, a South Korean aquaculture startup, to explore the feasibility of land-based shrimp farming in the UAE’s climate through the development of a pilot facility to test patented solutions and new agricultural systems.
The half-hectare pilot facility is co-funded through ADQ’s Growth Lab, a community of innovators focused on unlocking growth opportunities and driving value creation through innovation and R&D.
The facility will be located within KEZAD’s dedicated aquaculture zone, which features specialised infrastructure, utilities, and connectivity.
Under the terms of the agreement, ADQ and Aqua Development will evaluate the prospect of cultivating shrimp – one of the world’s most popular seafoods – onshore, using a combination of aquatic biology and innovation to replicate the shrimp’s natural environment.
This approach may enable shrimp to grow and thrive more efficiently compared to traditional farming methods, which are labour-intensive and yield low production rates, with modern systems utilising advanced filtration to recycle water yield higher production rates but do require significant investment.
Aqua Development’s patented, modular and nature-based solution reduces costs and delivers up to ten times the productivity of both traditional and modern systems.
Upon the successful conclusion of the pilot stage, production is expected to be scaled significantly, marking an important milestone in the local production of shrimp in the UAE.
Mansour AlMulla, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer at ADQ, said, “By leveraging advanced technologies and cutting-edge agricultural systems, this collaboration has the potential to enable sustainable and economically scalable local shrimp production, contributing to meeting the demand for one of the UAE’s most consumed and nutritionally dense seafood products while reducing reliance on imports.”
Doohyun Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Aqua Development, said, “ADQ is leading the way toward significant milestones in food security and sustainable food production in the UAE, and we are honoured to contribute to this effort. Our ambitions in the UAE are substantial, as we aim to collaborate closely with ADQ and local stakeholders to replace a significant portion of seafood imports with locally produced alternatives by implementing innovative, sustainable, and economically viable aquaculture solutions.”
Through its portfolio companies, ADQ is working to strengthen the nation’s sustainable agricultural footprint by adopting cutting-edge technologies to enable and enhance local production and the distribution of essential foods domestically and globally.