Indoor farming company Plenty Unlimited Inc. and natural service conservation group Mawarid Holding Investment entered a multi-year, region-wide partnership to build the first commercial-scale vertical strawberry farm outside of North America. 

The long-term goal of the joint venture is to bring locally grown fresh produce to countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). 

Both companies will invest more than $120 million into the partnership's first project, a vertical farm in Abu Dhabi designed to grow more than two million kilograms of strawberries a year. 

The goal is to develop a year-round supply of berries for the United Arab Emirates market and export to other GCC countries, replace air freight, and reduce food miles. The farm's production of strawberries is committed to Plenty partner and global premium berry leader Driscoll's. 

In the next five years, the joint venture plans to develop up to five farms and employ thousands of local residents, directly and indirectly. Construction on the Abu Dhabi farm–which will be approximately 7,500 square meters (81,000 square feet)–is targeted to be completed in late 2026.

Mawarid is a subsidiary of Alpha Dhabi Holding, a major publicly listed company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).