Turning desert lands into massive greenhouses is becoming a viable approach to contribute to food security, even in the challenging Middle East climate.
Pure Harvest Smart Farms has been pioneering sustainable smart farms for the Middle East since 2018, by operating high-tech, climate-controlled greenhouses to recreate a Mediterranean climate in the most arid deserts. By leveraging innovative growing technologies and horticultural best practices, Pure Harvest enables the local-for-local production of affordable, sustainably grown, fresh produce year round in the region’s challenging climate.
Energy efficiency is essential for smart farm sustainability. Running the climate controlled environment needed in the greenhouses requires 24-7 operation with full remote visibility of energy resources, assets and electrical systems, which is provided with ABB technology. The digital solution ABB Ability Energy Manager provides real-time data insights for the operators to enhance the performance and energy savings of the greenhouses.
Pure Harvest partners with Saudi Arabia's National Agricultural Development Company (NADEC) to build and operate farms that enable sustainable, resilient food production. The innovative approach involves creating the optimal, pesticide-free growing conditions: the right levels of light, water, ventilation, CO2, temperature and nutrients. The unique technology removes heat and humidity from the hot local air; humidity is converted to water to grow fresh fruits and vegetables hydroponically, without soil. It is more water-efficient than traditional field farming while producing more food per area.
The project aligns with Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision for agriculture and sustainability and is one of several projects ABB technology is supporting under the 2030 Vision to tackle challenging problems including food security, water conservation, economic diversification, and sustainability needs.
