Smart agricultural technology turns deserts into farmlands in UAE

The success of the wheat farm in Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) marks an important step in enhancing food self-sufficiency for the country.

The UAE has long relied on food imports, importing about 1.7 million tons of wheat each year.

Against the desert sands of Sharjah, the wheat farm, which applies desalinated water for irrigation, commenced operations in 2022 and is expected to expand to 1,900 hectares by the end of this year.

Experts report that a major milestone has been achieved with the successful cultivation of locally adapted wheat varieties in specialized breeding fields, tailored to thrive in the UAE's unique climate conditions.

Meanwhile, the smart irrigation system, which employs ground sensors and weather stations to monitor soil moisture in real time, enables the precise irrigation control to ensure healthy crop growth even under extreme conditions.

Furthermore, only a dozen workers are required to manage wheat cultivation on the 1,900-hectare farm, with irrigation and fertilization operations precisely controlled by advanced digital systems.

"We started planting in October till March, and within this season, as I mentioned, we have used state-of-the-art technologies. We have thermal satellite imagery, daily ones that can tell us more than 17 kinds of data that we can get out of it. For example, the soil moisture, the nitrogen in the soil, the water status of the soil and so on," explained Abdelaziz Hassooni, Programmer at the Sharjah Agriculture and Livestock Department.

In the future, this farm will not only supply the local market but may also become a model for desert agriculture, providing a reference for other regions.

Smart agricultural technology turns deserts into farmlands in UAE

Smart agricultural technology turns deserts into farmlands in UAE

China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) reviewed a record number of new drug registration applications in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.2 percent, with antineoplastic drugs accounting for the largest share, according to the administration.

In 2024, the NMPA evaluated a total of 18,259 drug registration applications, a figure that reflects the vitality of China's innovation in drug research and development.

"The record number of reviewed drug applications is a clear sign of China's rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry. The approval of high-quality new drugs not only gives Chinese patients more and better treatment options, but also shows China's increasing role in the global pharmaceutical market, offering more Chinese solutions to patients around the world," said Yuan Lijia, a staff member at the Center for Drug Evaluation under the NMPA.

Notably, in 2024, applications for clinical trial and market approval of new anti-tumor drugs ranked first among all chemical drugs and biologics, accounting for even half of the total.

"In 2024, anti-tumor drugs made up the largest share of approved clinical trial applications, with over 41 percent being chemical drugs and more than 55 percent being biologics. Throughout the year, anti-tumor drugs also led in the number of innovative drugs approved, with both chemical drugs and biologics surpassing 36 percent," said Geng Ying, an official with the center.

In 2024, China approved the market entry of 48 innovative drugs and 65 innovative medical devices. Its number of drugs in development ranked second globally, and several domestically developed drugs gained approval for global markets.

China's new drug registration applications hit record high in 2024