• The GCC faces an acute shortage of skilled and semi-skilled agricultural workers, managers, aquaculture and livestock specialists, and technicians.
• Estimated workforce need (2024–2030): over 150,000 skilled professionals, 500,000 semi-skilled and skilled workers, and 50,000 aquaculture/fisheries specialists.• Targeted sourcing from countries rich in agricultural expertise, including Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, Egypt, Philippines, Pakistan, and others.
• The program pioneers a structured, three-stage pathway:
o Skilled workers are recruited on special agri-visas and placed in managed farm, livestock, and aquaculture clusters.
o Through earnings and/or micro-investment (including external microfinance), these workers can become micro-investors.
o Over time, successful micro-investors and employees may acquire equity and
become co-owners or independent agri-entrepreneurs.
• This model is intentionally inclusive, offering dedicated tracks for women and youth, and
directly fostering upward social and economic mobility.
• AgriFuture advocates for fast-track, government-backed visa categories for international agricultural experts, farm workers, aquaculture specialists, and micro-investors, ensuring
rapid mobilization and effective knowledge transfer.
• Flexible, project-based visa schemes support both short- and long-term engagement, tailored to sector needs.
AgriFuture is fully compliant with GCC land policy: there is no foreign ownership.
• Projects are established on secure, long-term lease agreements (typically 10–50 years) for agricultural land and marine zones.
• Joint-ventures with local partners are adopted where national law requires, aligning investor interests with local priorities and ensuring regulatory security.
• Agriculture & Crop Cultivation: Modern open-field and hi-tech greenhouse farming (hydroponics, vertical farming), perennial crops, and organic/regenerative agriculture.
• Livestock & Dairy Farming: Hi-tech cattle, sheep, goat, and poultry operations, precision animal management, and integrated waste-to-fertilizer solutions.
• Aquaculture & Fish Farming: Onshore and offshore (sea-leased) fish, shrimp, and shellfish production, with state-of-the-art RAS, mariculture, and biosecurity technologies.
• Allied & Value-Added Sectors: Cold chain logistics, food processing, agri-tech (drones, IoT, digital management), packaging, and business incubation.
• The GCC’s food market is projected to exceed $70 billion by 2027 due to population growth, urbanization, and dietary diversification.
• Despite investment in domestic production, the supply-demand gap persists, with the region remaining a net food importer.
• AgriFuture aligns with national food security strategies (e.g., Saudi Vision 2030, UAE Food Security Strategy), addressing not only supply resilience but also job creation, rural economic diversification, and technology transfer.
• Future trends show rising demand for sustainable, climate-smart, and technologically advanced food systems.
If successfully approved and implemented, AgriFuture promises to create tens of thousands of jobs, empower a new generation of agri-entrepreneurs (with particular focus on women and youth), and drive the adoption of global best practices in agri-food production.
• By unlocking unused land and marine resources, and integrating an international, skilled workforce, AgriFuture supports a win-win scenario for governments (food security diversification), investors (scalable new markets), and workers (structured, upward
pathways).
• AgriFuture is currently under evaluation, with project approvals pending.
• The program’s robust and scalable model, together with early-stage government interest,
suggests enormous potential for transformative and long-term contribution to both regional and global food safety.
At WISEBELL, we go far beyond traditional recruitment services. We offer comprehensive, end-to-end human capital solutions encompassing every stage of the employee lifecycle—from talent acquisition and onboarding to professional development, workforce management, employee engagement, and long-term retention. Our proactive and lifecycle-driven approach ensures that organizations are not only matched with the right talent, but are also equipped to nurture, empower, and retain their workforce for sustainable success.
We operate through a state-of-the-art, closed digital ecosystem designed to protect the interests
of both clients and candidates. All recruitment and HR processes are conducted within a strictly
confidential framework, ensuring complete privacy, robust risk mitigation, and full regulatory
compliance. Our operations are underpinned by industry-leading data security protocols, giving
our partners absolute peace of mind when it comes to safeguarding sensitive information and
managing risk.
With a strategic presence across the broader GCC, and key European markets, our team of expert consultants blends deep, on-the-ground local market knowledge with a strong grasp of international best practices. This unique combination empowers us to deliver bespoke solutions tailored to the cultural, regulatory, and operational realities of each region, while maintaining the highest global standards in talent attraction and management. Our clients gain a distinctive advantage in building high-performing, diverse, and future-ready teams.
