emirates7 - The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has reaffirmed its strong support for Emirati beekeepers in celebration of World Bee Day, observed annually on May 20.
This support is clearly demonstrated through ADAFSA’s ongoing provision of high-quality queen bees from the Emirati honeybee strain. The initiative is designed to sustain the local beekeeping industry and boost the production of premium honey varieties such as Samar, Sidr, Ghaf, Mangrove, and wildflower honeys.
Between March and April 2025, ADAFSA successfully bred 2,100 tenth-generation queen bees of the Emirati breed. This effort is part of a broader strategy to develop a robust, locally adapted bee population, reduce dependency on imported bees, and enhance the long-term sustainability of beekeeping practices in the UAE.
Since the start of the breeding programme in 2016, ADAFSA has produced nine previous generations of Emirati queen bees, totaling 18,692 queens, with 14,461 distributed among local beekeepers. In 2025 alone, 1,350 tenth-generation queens have already been provided to 39 beekeepers. ADAFSA aims to produce a total of 5,300 queens by year’s end—2,300 during the spring (March–May) and 3,000 in the autumn (October–November).
As part of its mission to raise the profile of Emirati honey on the international stage, ADAFSA hosted the Al Wathba Honey Festival from January 31 to February 9, 2025. The event coincided with the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award and took place during the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi.
The festival brought together 50 beekeepers and honey production companies and featured eight competitions, including new categories for best wax mould and best honey product packaging. Out of 272 contestants, 40 winners received a total of AED 439,000 in prizes.
To increase public awareness of the value of Emirati honey, ADAFSA also released an educational video. The video highlights the UAE’s rich honey diversity—from the mountainous regions of Al Ain to the deserts of Abu Dhabi and the coastal mangroves. It underscores the vital role of queen bees and local beekeepers and explains the nutritional benefits of honey, which is rich in antioxidants. It also reinforces the message that protecting bees is essential for biodiversity and national food security.
On the educational front, ADAFSA has held various workshops and seminars covering key beekeeping topics, such as how to prepare honey for competitions, judging standards, and interactive discussions with beekeepers on sector challenges and solutions.
To build local expertise, ADAFSA has conducted training courses for beginner beekeepers and specialized sessions on queen bee breeding and introduction. These courses will be offered again in October 2025. In addition, a training course focused on honeybee pests and disease control is scheduled for June 2025, with the goal of ensuring healthy and productive bee colonies in the UAE's environment.
ADAFSA also played a significant role in the 13th International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (IMYB), which it helped organise and judge in collaboration with the Beekeepers Association. Held in Dubai from December 18–22, 2024, this marked the first time the global event was hosted outside Europe. More than 100 participants aged 12 to 18 from over 40 countries took part in practical and theoretical competitions, educational workshops, and cultural activities aimed at promoting knowledge-sharing and emphasizing the importance of bees to global food security and the environment.
Furthering its educational outreach, ADAFSA published "Bees and Beekeeping in the United Arab Emirates," the first comprehensive scientific guide of its kind in the country. The publication explores bee biodiversity, sustainable hive management, and the environmental challenges facing beekeeping in the UAE. A complementary children's booklet was also released to engage younger audiences with easy-to-understand content on the importance of bees and honey production.
In terms of disease monitoring and prevention, ADAFSA has recently launched a national initiative to track and manage honeybee pests and diseases. The project will compile a comprehensive database on threats to the Emirati honeybee and will lead to the development of a national action plan aligned with international best practices. Results from the project are expected in early 2026.
This support is clearly demonstrated through ADAFSA’s ongoing provision of high-quality queen bees from the Emirati honeybee strain. The initiative is designed to sustain the local beekeeping industry and boost the production of premium honey varieties such as Samar, Sidr, Ghaf, Mangrove, and wildflower honeys.
Between March and April 2025, ADAFSA successfully bred 2,100 tenth-generation queen bees of the Emirati breed. This effort is part of a broader strategy to develop a robust, locally adapted bee population, reduce dependency on imported bees, and enhance the long-term sustainability of beekeeping practices in the UAE.
Since the start of the breeding programme in 2016, ADAFSA has produced nine previous generations of Emirati queen bees, totaling 18,692 queens, with 14,461 distributed among local beekeepers. In 2025 alone, 1,350 tenth-generation queens have already been provided to 39 beekeepers. ADAFSA aims to produce a total of 5,300 queens by year’s end—2,300 during the spring (March–May) and 3,000 in the autumn (October–November).
As part of its mission to raise the profile of Emirati honey on the international stage, ADAFSA hosted the Al Wathba Honey Festival from January 31 to February 9, 2025. The event coincided with the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award and took place during the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi.
The festival brought together 50 beekeepers and honey production companies and featured eight competitions, including new categories for best wax mould and best honey product packaging. Out of 272 contestants, 40 winners received a total of AED 439,000 in prizes.
To increase public awareness of the value of Emirati honey, ADAFSA also released an educational video. The video highlights the UAE’s rich honey diversity—from the mountainous regions of Al Ain to the deserts of Abu Dhabi and the coastal mangroves. It underscores the vital role of queen bees and local beekeepers and explains the nutritional benefits of honey, which is rich in antioxidants. It also reinforces the message that protecting bees is essential for biodiversity and national food security.
On the educational front, ADAFSA has held various workshops and seminars covering key beekeeping topics, such as how to prepare honey for competitions, judging standards, and interactive discussions with beekeepers on sector challenges and solutions.
To build local expertise, ADAFSA has conducted training courses for beginner beekeepers and specialized sessions on queen bee breeding and introduction. These courses will be offered again in October 2025. In addition, a training course focused on honeybee pests and disease control is scheduled for June 2025, with the goal of ensuring healthy and productive bee colonies in the UAE's environment.
ADAFSA also played a significant role in the 13th International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (IMYB), which it helped organise and judge in collaboration with the Beekeepers Association. Held in Dubai from December 18–22, 2024, this marked the first time the global event was hosted outside Europe. More than 100 participants aged 12 to 18 from over 40 countries took part in practical and theoretical competitions, educational workshops, and cultural activities aimed at promoting knowledge-sharing and emphasizing the importance of bees to global food security and the environment.
Furthering its educational outreach, ADAFSA published "Bees and Beekeeping in the United Arab Emirates," the first comprehensive scientific guide of its kind in the country. The publication explores bee biodiversity, sustainable hive management, and the environmental challenges facing beekeeping in the UAE. A complementary children's booklet was also released to engage younger audiences with easy-to-understand content on the importance of bees and honey production.
In terms of disease monitoring and prevention, ADAFSA has recently launched a national initiative to track and manage honeybee pests and diseases. The project will compile a comprehensive database on threats to the Emirati honeybee and will lead to the development of a national action plan aligned with international best practices. Results from the project are expected in early 2026.