Urban agriculture integration in in the UAE Arid Context (Al Ain case): spatial analysis and feasibility across residential typologies
Kheira Anissa TABET AOUL, Fatima ALKAABI, Shooq ALALI, Sheikha ALAZIZI, Fatma ALSAADI
Abstract. As urbanization and climate pressures intensify, urban agriculture (UA) emerges as a pivotal strategy for enhancing food security, sustainability, and urban resilience. In hot-arid regions like the UAE, integrating UA within urban planning can transform public spaces into multifunctional green infrastructure. This study explores the spatial readiness of Al Ain, UAE, to integrate UA across different residential densities. A typology-based spatial approach classified residential areas as low, medium, and high-density, then relates urban form to feasible UA system integration. Classification draws on satellite imagery, and official land-use/zoning from Al Ain Municipality. Core indicators include building coverage and available open/green space as proxies for sitting potential. Low-density areas, with larger plots and comparatively greater on-plot open space, are most conducive to decentralized UA such as backyard gardens and small community cultivation. Medium-density areas can support semi-shared models (rooftop/community plots) contingent on coordination of UA within property and zoning arrangements. High-density areas, constrained at ground level, align with technology-intensive options (e.g., rooftop/indoor systems and vertical farming) that leverage building infrastructure but face higher capital and operational requirements. Noting implementation opportunities are also shaped by policy and socio-cultural factors. The paper highlights the absence of clear, enabling policy frameworks and zoning provisions for UA within residential fabrics. Recommendations include targeted policy incentives, infrastructure support (particularly water-efficient systems), and awareness/technical assistance programs to reduce adoption barriers. Taken together, the findings support density-responsive guidance: promote private garden retrofits and small protected cultivation in low-density areas; implement shared rooftop and community models in medium-density districts; and pilot vertical or indoor systems in high-density cores where space is limited and building infrastructure can be utilized. Aligning these interventions with municipal planning can enhance local food production, support sustainable land use, and contribute to broader national goals for food security, and urban resilience in the UAE.
Keywords
Urban Agriculture Integration, Residential Density & Spatial Potential, Implementation Barriers & Strategies, UAE Food Resilience & Sustainability
Published online 6/20/2026, 7 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Kheira Anissa TABET AOUL, Fatima ALKAABI, Shooq ALALI, Sheikha ALAZIZI, Fatma ALSAADI, Urban agriculture integration in in the UAE Arid Context (Al Ain case): spatial analysis and feasibility across residential typologies, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 755-761, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-104
The article was published as article 104 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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