Why Are UAE Citizen-Owned Farms Transforming Into New Winter Tourism Hotspots?

This winter, the UAE isn’t just offering markets and pop-ups. The region has come up with something quieter, greener, and unexpectedly refreshing. Citizen-owned farms across the UAE are turning into winter destinations. And, it’s attracting visitors who want something different from malls and brunches to explore in the region.

Why Citizen-Owned Farms Are Becoming the UAE’s Most Surprising Winter Attractions

These citizen-owned farms are different from the petting zoo or farm-to-table concepts usually recognised in the region. They’re working agricultural projects run by Emirati entrepreneurs who know their land and their markets. Visitors walk through green rows of produce, taste fruit picked the same day, and see how farming works in a country once tagged as desert with barren land to grow anything.

Farming Meets Tourism

With the UAE’s farm count now topping 38,000, agriculture has become both a serious business and a growing public experience as mentioned in a report by Gulf News. Many of these farms use organic methods, hydroponics, and vertical systems. This leads to increased food growth within less space. Hydroponic farms alone can produce almost four times more than traditional farming.

When people visit these farms, witness how local food security actually works apart from buying the produce.

The government-backed World’s Coolest Winter campaign, themed Our Winter is Entrepreneurial, puts these farms at the forefront with a clear message that Winter tourism is about ideas, innovation, and local ownership.

Real farms, Real Stories

According to Gulf News, Mirak strawberry farm in Al Dhaid, Sharjah, is in the limelight. Managed by Eissa Khoury, the farm dates back to 1985 and made history as the first in the UAE to grow strawberries. Today, it exports thousands of tonnes each year and grows premium crops once fully imported.

Over in Hatta, the Hatta Model Strawberry Farm is a sheer example of farming and tourism sharing the same space. Owned by Khalfan Al Mutaiwei, the farm launched in 2022 and uses open fields and greenhouses to grow strawberries and figs.

In Fujairah, farmer Ahmed Al Hafeeti is proving that cocoa can grow locally, as mentioned in a report by Gulf News. His farm has already produced more than 1,000 saplings, with plans to add 5,000 more next season. The project uses shade netting instead of greenhouses, so the yield is low-cost and only dependent on Fujairah’s clay soil and humid climate. 

Also Read: World Vegan Day 2025: Meaning, Global Theme & 10 Plant-Powered Recipes To Try Today

Why this matters

These farms are changing the way people see agriculture in the UAE, and also set out one more weekend activity in your “things to explore” list. 

This winter, put your generic plans to rest and check out what’s growing in the UAE’s farms. 

Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/ JackF from Getty Images