Finland's Food Security Expertise Showcased by UAE Government Communication Office

UAE-Finland Partnership Deepens Focus on Food Security and Comprehensive Safety

The UAE's Sharjah emirate is strengthening its six-year diplomatic partnership with Finland's capital Helsinki, expanding cooperation beyond child safety into critical areas of food security, sustainable agriculture, and comprehensive security frameworks. This collaboration highlights the Gulf state's strategic pivot toward diversified international partnerships as it addresses long-term sustainability challenges in an increasingly volatile global environment.

Building Bridges Through Practical Governance

Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah's Government Relations Department, emphasized that since 2018, his department has maintained continuous efforts to enhance cooperation with Helsinki authorities. The partnership initially focused on child safety and security but has evolved to encompass broader developmental and agricultural security concerns.

Speaking at a session titled "Finland's Perspective on Comprehensive Security: Food Security and its Relationship with Water and Climate" during the International Government Communication Forum 2025, Al Qasimi stressed that politicians don't operate in a vacuum separate from citizens' daily lives. Housing, healthcare, education, and access to high-quality healthy food remain top priorities for both residents and policymakers.

The UAE's Diplomatic DNA

Al Qasimi highlighted how diplomacy has been embedded in the UAE's national identity since the country's founding in 1971. "As long as we maintain the essence of our diplomatic culture as a state, we will remain a center where world leaders gather to discuss the most prominent challenges," he stated. This approach positions the UAE as a neutral ground for international cooperation, particularly valuable as global tensions rise.

Finland's Comprehensive Security Model

Finnish Ambassador to the UAE Tuula Yrjölä outlined Finland's holistic approach to security, which integrates food security, public health, education, environmental sustainability, and green economy as foundational elements. This model becomes particularly relevant as nations reassess supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by recent global disruptions.

Finland's unique challenges offer instructive lessons for the UAE. Despite lacking oil and gas resources, Finland works diligently to ensure energy security. While blessed with abundant water resources, the Nordic country faces significant food security challenges due to extremely short growing seasons, requiring innovative solutions and diverse programs to address these constraints.

Collaborative Framework

The Finnish model emphasizes cooperation between authorities, business communities, organizations, and citizens to ensure society's vital functions. Yrjölä described legislation and institutional arrangements as the foundation supporting comprehensive security—a framework that could inform similar initiatives in the Gulf region.

UAE's Strategic Food Security Initiatives

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has implemented an ambitious five-year strategy featuring ten main programs encompassing 74 local and national initiatives. This comprehensive approach includes projects, activities, and partnerships with various institutions, demonstrating the UAE's systematic approach to addressing food security challenges.

Next-Generation Awareness

ADAFSA specialist Majed Sultan Al Zaabi highlighted the authority's focus on educating children and young people about food security through partnerships with platforms like KidZania and Spacetoon. This long-term investment in food culture awareness among emerging generations reflects strategic thinking about sustainable behavioral change.

Key initiatives include the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Award for Agricultural Excellence, aimed at supporting agricultural sector development and empowering farmers, livestock breeders, youth, and influencers nationwide. The upcoming Global Food Week, scheduled for October 21-23, will serve as a platform for enhanced dialogue and experience-sharing on food security issues.

Strategic Implications for Regional Security

This UAE-Finland partnership represents a broader trend of middle powers seeking diverse international collaborations to address complex security challenges. Unlike traditional military-focused security arrangements, this cooperation model addresses human security fundamentals—food, water, climate, and social stability.

For the Gulf region, traditionally dependent on food imports, learning from Finland's resource constraints and innovative solutions offers practical value. Finland's experience managing limited agricultural seasons and energy resource scarcity provides relevant insights for countries facing similar sustainability pressures, albeit in different climatic conditions.

The timing of this deepened cooperation coincides with global supply chain reassessments following recent disruptions, making food security partnerships increasingly strategic rather than merely developmental. As climate change impacts agricultural productivity worldwide, such knowledge-sharing arrangements may prove essential for maintaining social stability and economic resilience.