The United Arab Emirates (UAE) import most of their seafood meeting the high demand for fish in the country. Aquaculture provides a means of moving to greater self-sufficiency but the harsh environmental conditions prohibit large-scale farming used elsewhere such as pond culture. With support of FAO, we worked with James Cook University to identify species of fish preferred by residents of the UAE and which could be feasibly farmed in the country. Residents strongly preferred locally caught species such as kingfish (kanaad) and groper (hamour). Wild populations of these fish have become depleted through overfishing and habitat degradation in UAE waters. Consumers overwhelmingly preferred fresh fish over frozen or processed seafood. Sensory analyses (taste, texture, and overall liking) revealed that barramundi was the most preferred of five species tested (including hamour). Consumers were willing to pay a price premium for fresh local fish. Although kingfish are preferred, they are unable to be successfully farmed.
Farming hamour, barramundi, cobia, silver pomfret, and a local seabream could be successfully undertaken in the UAE with recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). RAS is land based and, with modern technology, can be automated for efficient, sustainable production suited to UAE conditions. In this way, the UAE can develop a profitable aquaculture industry to assist in supplying residents with fresh local seafood.
The orange spotted groper locally called Hamour is a very popular fish preferred by UAE consumers.
You can read more about our collaboration with James Cook University and the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in this Aquaculture publication: McShane et al. 2025