United Arab Emirates Agriculture Employment

The United Arab Emirates’ share of employment in agriculture has contracted sharply over the 35‑year series, falling from an all‑time peak of 6.25 percent in 1991 to a trough of 1.44 percent in 2025, the latter ranking the UAE 17th globally for the lowest agricultural employment share. This decline reflects the emirate’s rapid diversification away from primary production toward services, construction, and high‑value manufacturing, supported by substantial fiscal investment in infrastructure and a climate that limits arable land. By contrast, peer economies with similarly low shares such as Barbados (1.25 percent) and the United States (1.52 percent) also exhibit limited agricultural workforces, though the United States’ larger absolute farm sector masks a comparable structural shift. The persistently low figure in 2025 suggests that without policy interventions to expand agritech, water‑efficient farming, or rural employment incentives, the UAE’s agricultural employment is likely to remain near its current trough, reinforcing its reliance on food imports.