Smart Greenhouses: Are We Ready for the Future!?

1 January 2025Miscellaneous3 min read

By: Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Fraih

Amid the growing global challenges of food security, climate change, and rapid population growth, agricultural technology is emerging as a key solution for achieving sustainable and efficient farming. The Agricultural Technology Exhibition held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from June 10–12, 2025, served as a leading international platform to showcase the latest advancements in this field.

By invitation from the Ministry of Agriculture and the DGH–Delta Agricultural Development Group, a distinguished delegation of agricultural development experts from Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, and Oman) participated. The delegation included representatives from government entities, research centers, universities, and private companies. The attendance of the Egyptian Deputy Minister of Agriculture and the Saudi Deputy Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture underscored the strategic significance of the event.

The exhibition primarily focused on smart greenhouses and the role of robotics and artificial intelligence in revolutionizing modern agriculture, particularly in areas such as precision horticulture, organic and biological farming, vertical farming, as well as climate control systems and energy and water solutions.

With the world witnessing increasing demand for food and energy, the development of a new generation of autonomous greenhouses has become essential. In this context, Wageningen University in the Netherlands—a global leader in agricultural research—presented a lecture on smart greenhouses and their role in enhancing intelligent and sustainable production systems through autonomous control technologies and advanced innovations.

We are now entering an entirely new era of agriculture. The current state is no longer sustainable. However, transitioning to smart farming opens vast possibilities for improving production efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring food security.

A Message to Kuwaiti and Gulf Farmers:

If you want to secure your place in the future of agriculture, you must start adopting smart solutions and embracing modern technological advancements today.

Smart Agriculture: When Plants Speak!

The future of farming will be data-driven—where plants can “tell” you what they need using advanced sensors and technologies.

But how can we practically achieve this?

The answer lies in building a smart infrastructure that includes monitoring and control centers within each greenhouse. These systems track precise indicators such as temperature, humidity, air quality, and analyze plant health using artificial intelligence.

Practical experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach. For instance, in a project in Mexico, farms that adopted smart agriculture saw:

• A 15% increase in profitability

• A 12% boost in productivity

• Over 30% reduction in energy consumption

These are highly promising results that open wide doors for smart agricultural investment. The ability to accurately predict outcomes makes agricultural operations safer and more sustainable.

During our visit to the exhibition, we were struck by the massive production levels in the Netherlands, which ranks first globally in tomato yield per square meter. Surprisingly, a farmer in the United Arab Emirates surpassed this benchmark, proving that leadership in agriculture is possible—with technology and determination.

So, when will we reach our full productive potential?

And are we truly ready for the future?

Perhaps the answer lies in our hands—but it requires bold decisions, investment in innovation, and a firm commitment to the shift toward smart agriculture.