UAE Minister of State for Food and Water Security and Start-Up Nation Central to cooperate on promoting innovation

TEL AVIV, Israel, July 13, 2021 – The UAE Minister of State for Food and Water Security, Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Mheiri, and Start-Up Nation Central agreed to cooperate on promoting AgriFood-Tech innovation and startups. The framework of cooperation aligns with her ministerial responsibilities and are in accordance with the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051.

Start-Up Nation Central had the honor of hosting the minister at its Tel Aviv headquarters on Tuesday evening. She was accompanied by the UAE Ambassador to Israel, His Excellency Mohamed Al Khaja, and met with the organization’s leadership and select Israeli startups. During the visit, Start-Up Nation Central’s team provided the minister and her team with in-depth data and insights on the Israeli innovation ecosystem, focusing on the Israeli AgriFood-Tech and Water-Tech sectors, which include about 400 companies – making it the world’s second largest hub.

The framework will facilitate both nations addressing their shared food and water security challenges. Start-Up Nation Central will scout and map the ground-breaking Israeli innovative solutions for the ministry to connect them with the relevant Emirati companies and government initiatives that can benefit from the Israeli solutions.

The new initiative builds on the successful collaboration between the UAE embassy to Israel and Start-Up Nation Central, who in April launched a joint task force to bring people together to share ideas and generate solutions and economic value for both countries.

 Her Excellency Minister of State Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Mheiri: “We recognize the instrumental role that innovation plays in advancing sustainable development. We also understand that small and medium size businesses are the lifeblood of dynamic, flexible, and resilient economies. With these factors firmly in mind, both our countries have created strong startup ecosystems that promote innovation, can respond to changing circumstances, and have the capacity to advance our respective development agendas. Engaging with Start-Up Nation Central is an important step in this direction as it creates a central hub for new businesses and enterprises that consolidates services in a single destination. We are delighted to have the opportunity to discuss potential partnerships with Start-Up Nation Central and to share our knowledge, expertise, and skills for our mutual benefit. We look forward to collaborating on identify synergies where we can work together.”

 Start-Up Nation Central’s Acting CEO, Chico Menashe: “I am confident that this visit will lead to further interactions and cooperation between our two nations’ business communities and companies. This visit and joint task force represent further advancements of business relations in the region, and we expect collaborations of this sort to thrive and extend also to other neighboring countries.

About Start-Up Nation Central
Start-Up Nation Central is the go-to resource for corporations, governments, and investors to connect with the Israeli tech ecosystem. Start-Up Nation Central catalyzes growth opportunities by bringing Israeli tech innovation to global business and societal challenges. Established in 2013 and headquartered in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Start-Up Nation Central is a not-for-profit organization funded by philanthropy.

About Start-Up Nation Finder
Start-Up Nation Finder is a free online platform for identifying and engaging Israeli tech organizations based on customers’ specific interests. This Innovation Business Platform is a comprehensive knowledge hub on Israeli start-ups, investors, acceleration hubs, multinational corporations, and technology-based innovation associated with academic research. The open-source platform provides up-to-date information and insights on thousands of active Israeli tech companies.