In a country better known for sand dunes than salad bowls, something quietly radical is growing behind glass walls. Inside brightly lit, climate-controlled farms, tomatoes ripen untouched by pesticides, and lettuce flourishes in vertical towers; no soil, no sunlight, no tractors. This isn’t traditional farming; it’s agriculture reimagined for the 21st century. No dirt under your nails. No crop seasons to worry about. Just smart tech feeding smart cities.
Once dismissed as futuristic novelties, vertical farms are now rising in malls, warehouses, and hotel rooftops across the Emirates. They’re feeding more than just a population — they’re feeding a movement for cleaner, smarter, more sustainable food. At a time of water scarcity and climate disruption, the UAE isn’t just adapting, it’s innovating. As told to BTR magazine, both UNS Vertical Farms and Pure Harvest Smart Farms are reshaping how the UAE thinks about agriculture and food doesn’t have to grow from the ground anymore — sometimes, it grows from innovation. And somehow — it tastes even better.
Less water, more yield
Ask anyone in agriculture and they’ll tell you: water is everything. Which is precisely why the 90% reduction in water usage by vertical farms feels like a game changer — especially in a place like the UAE, where every drop counts.
“At UNS Farms, we run a closed-loop hydroponic system,” says Mehlam Murtaza, Executive Director at UNS Vertical Farms. “That means water isn’t lost to the soil or evaporated — it’s recycled and reused. We deliver exactly what the plant needs, directly to the roots. No more, no less.”
Instead of sprawling fields, UNS builds up — using vertical racks that multiply their yield per square meter. Combine that with a climate-controlled environment and you get high-output farming that’s unaffected by the region’s sweltering heat or unreliable rainfall. “We’ve essentially engineered a micro-climate inside our farms,” Murtaza adds. “It’s about growing smarter, not just harder.”
A farm without pesticides
Walk through a UNS facility or Pure Harvest greenhouse, and you’ll notice something odd: no chemicals. Zero. Not even the so-called “safe” ones.
For both companies, removing pesticides isn’t just a marketing angle — it’s a pillar of their sustainability ethos.
“We operate like we’re guarding a castle,” says Sky Kurtz, CEO and Founder of Pure Harvest Smart Farms. “Our climate-controlled, closed-loop system keeps pests out. And if something does get in, we don’t reach for chemicals — we bring in beneficial insects or other natural interventions.”
Pure Harvest leans into integrated pest management (IPM), a method that prioritizes balance over eradication. In short, it’s about working with nature rather than against it.
UNS, meanwhile, takes a similarly holistic route. “It’s about early detection, sanitation, and rotating crops regularly,” says Murtaza. “When you have full control over your growing environment, you don’t need to rely on chemicals. And that’s better for the planet — and for people.”
Both companies back their methods with international certifications, like HACCP and ISO 22000:2018, reassuring consumers that “chemical-free” doesn’t mean “risky.” In fact, it means the opposite.
Farms in malls, not fields
There’s something captivating about watching lettuce grow in the middle of a luxury mall or seeing a vertical herb garden inside a five-star hotel. It’s not just for show. For UNS, these collaborations are part of a larger mission: making farming visible, accessible, and even stylish.
“When we bring vertical farms into public spaces, it changes the way people think about agriculture,” Murtaza explains. “It’s not something distant or industrial — it’s fresh, it’s here, it’s part of your daily life.”
The company’s green installations — whether on a mall wall or in a restaurant lobby — spark conversations and curiosity. And that’s exactly the point.
Pure Harvest takes a slightly different route. Rather than public installations, they connect with consumers through transparency. “We use QR codes on our packaging so people can trace exactly where and how their food was grown,” says Kurtz. “We share videos, behind-the-scenes farm content, and speak openly about our practices. Because people care — and they’re asking smarter questions.”
Conscious consumers are here to stay
And those smarter questions are reshaping the market. In recent years, there’s been a clear shift in the UAE’s grocery habits, especially among millennials and Gen Z. No longer content with labels like “organic” or “fresh,” these buyers want to know the full story behind their