Billionaire investor Jim Mellon unveiled plans to establish large-scale clean food production in the UAE. This initiative could transform the region’s reliance on imports and make the country a global hub for precision-fermented proteins and oils. Mellon stressed that local production could allow the UAE to meet all its protein needs within ten years, a bold vision for food security.
The plan focuses on advanced biotechnology, particularly precision fermentation and cellular agriculture. Precision fermentation uses microorganisms, such as yeast or bacteria, to create proteins, fats, and vitamins without animals or traditional farming. Mellon explained that these processes produce bioidentical ingredients identical to conventional foods. Companies can now produce these products at commercial scale and at prices comparable to supermarket items.
The UAE imports nearly 95 percent of its food, making the region highly vulnerable to global supply disruptions. Conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East, exposed weaknesses in long supply chains. By building local factories, the UAE could reduce dependence on imports and increase national resilience. Mellon believes this strategy also advances sustainability goals, cutting emissions from transport and reducing environmental pressures from conventional agriculture.
Mellon’s group is collaborating with sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and established food manufacturers to develop local capacity. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office signed agreements to explore large-scale protein fermentation earlier this year. Companies like The Every Company and Vivici work alongside the UAE to produce high-value ingredients using microorganisms.
Pharmaceutical companies already use precision fermentation to produce drugs like Ozempic. However, food applications remain limited because most capacity belongs to pharmaceutical companies. Mellon explained that building new factories addresses this gap. Cellular agriculture, which grows animal-based foods directly from cells, remains more expensive, but costs are steadily falling as production scales up.
Mellon also highlighted the financial potential of this infrastructure. He said these projects could generate returns of 20 percent per year without leverage. Large food companies, including Nestlé, Unilever, and Kellogg’s, pay attention due to sustainability pressures and supply limitations.
Beyond profits, these initiatives can improve public health. Reducing livestock farming lowers antibiotic use, limiting antimicrobial resistance. Diet-related diseases could also decline if these alternatives replace processed foods. Mellon pointed out that these factors make the approach both a strategic and socially responsible investment.
If the plan succeeds, the UAE could move from heavy import dependency to a global leadership role in the clean food revolution. Mellon promises that announcements next year will showcase tangible progress.
