Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) and Abu Dhabi Nature Academy signed a cooperation agreement on 4 September to launch a Poultry Farm Biosecurity Programme. The signing took place on the sidelines of the 2026 Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX). The Academy is a subsidiary of Ekthar Wildlife Development Limited, part of Erth Zayed Philanthropies. The agreement sets a framework for the partners to design and deliver specialised training that responds to sector needs and supports national capabilities in agriculture and food.

The programme is intended to strengthen the ability of personnel at poultry facilities to identify biosecurity risks, apply prevention and control measures, manage hygiene protocols and monitor disease. WAM reports that ADAFSA and the Academy will align training content with the needs of target groups, draw on available academic programmes and professional practices, and connect training to measurable outcomes intended to support performance improvement. The announcement does not specify a participant target, the first course date or a budget.

The intended beneficiaries cover several roles across Abu Dhabi’s agricultural and livestock system: agricultural and livestock inspection officers; staff in extension, animal health and livestock development; professionals in poultry production and field operations; and employees at poultry breeding centres and farms. The programme also encompasses public-sector biosecurity personnel, small and large poultry producers in the emirate, and staff at farms within a 10-kilometre radius of the Sheikh Khalifa Houbara Breeding Centre. This wider scope links farm-level prevention with inspection, advisory and animal-health functions.

ADAFSA Acting Director-General Tareq Ahmed Al Ameri said the agreement brings institutions together to develop specialised national talent able to protect livestock and food production. Academy Board of Trustees Chairman Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi described the partnership as part of building capabilities in nature, wildlife and biosecurity through scientific and applied programmes. Their statements frame training as a preventive measure for facility readiness, animal health and production sustainability. The notice says other areas may be added by agreement to support ADAFSA’s objectives.

The programme is scheduled to run for two years. The partners say they will adopt mechanisms to assess training quality and periodically evaluate outcomes, with the aim of checking whether objectives are being met and impact sustained. The source describes a cooperation framework and its intended curriculum, audiences and evaluation approach, rather than a completed training cohort. It gives no delivery timetable, number of participating farms, enrolment target or published performance baseline. Those details would be needed to assess reach and results as the programme proceeds.