UAE firm brings salmon farming to the desert

After golf courses in the desert and a ski slope in a shopping mall, the United Arab Emirates is now turning its hand to farming cold water fish such as salmon.

That’s the goal of one Abu Dhabi company which plans to farm the fish in chilled onshore pools at prices that can compete with imports flown in from Norway or Ireland.

Asmak, which already runs offshore fish farms, is harnessing technology honed in Scandinavia to set up the Middle East’s first onshore fish farm in a bid to provide affordable alternatives to popular local fish such as grouper.

“Within six to eight months you will be able to eat salmon that is locally produced here,” Tamer Yousef, its marketing and business development manager, told Reuters in an interview.

While Gulf companies are used to taking on the elements for projects such as golf courses and even an indoor ski slope in Dubai, Asmak’s plans pose a new challenge – keeping water at a temperature of 13 degrees Celsius in a region where sea water temperatures can go up to 40 degrees.

UAE firm brings salmon farming to the desert