9,000 km Drive: A Call For Middle Eastern Agrotech Startups

Bruce Gurfein, a serial UAE entrepreneur has successfully completed the first in modern history 9,000 km road trip across six countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Palestine, and Israel. The trip promotes the launch of Future Gig, a UAE-based agrotech startup accelerator.

From Dubai to Jerusalem via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel it took 38 hours of five days driving a Nissan Armada, covering more than 3,580 km with stops in major cities. During the 20-day journey, Bruce Gurfein and his trip partner Joe Koen have been meeting investors, land owners, business partners, and innovators in food technologies and desert agriculture to create a joint platform that would allow startups to share data, exchange experience, test products and gain market access, with a mission to ensure a shift towards sustainability in the region. The road back to the UAE was routed through Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain and was completed in six days.

Why agrotech

The World Bank’s data shows that in 2020, the Middle East region’s share of the world’s acute food insecurity was 20%, which is disproportionately high considering its 6% share of the population.

It is vital that the region’s wealthiest join forces to address this challenge. The global food and agriculture industry is valued at over $8 trillion and makes up for more than 10% of the global GDP. There are tremendous opportunities for innovation and technology in these industries –  for example, in Israel alone, investments in foodtech have increased from $53 million in 2015 to $866 million in 2021, according to IVC-MEITAR Israeli Tech Review 2021 Report.

“Expanding Investments in the region and leveraging the UAE as a neutral center can create a superpower that will provide food security and help build a better future for our families and planet. Peace is not just a word, and it doesn’t come with two signatures; it comes with a wholehearted embrace, via interpersonal relations being built. This is the Middle East after all; we don’t rush things here. Even our coffee takes time… that’s why it tastes so good”, – Bruce Gurfein concludes.