H.E Prof. Ibrahim Adam El Dukhiri, the Director General of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) and his accompanying delegation continued their participation in the First Media Conference to promote the achievements and activities of the Arab joint institutions during the period from 21-23 January 2018 at the Nile Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Cairo, Egypt.

During the fourth session of the conference, H.E Prof El Dukhiri addressed the issue of the Arab food security. He pointed that it is not a national issue but a problem facing all Arab countries. He added that the Arab agricultural integration is an urgent necessity to protect the Arab food and economic security. He added that the statistics for 2016 indicate that the import bill for food from outside the Arab world is estimated at 32.8 billion dollars.

 H.E Prof El Dukhiri pointed out that the achievement of food security requires reforms and internal adjustments that are in line with the international changes and challenges facing the agricultural development and the Arab food security issue. The most important issues for the AOAD are the environmental challenges resulting from the climate change, desertification and loss of biodiversity. These issues are included in the sustainable development annual programs. As well as the Arab, regional and international partnerships that have become imperative for implementing the sustainable development food security programs in the Arab world.

Dr. Al Haj Attia, the Director of the Technical Programs Department in the AOAD presented a paper on some of the achievements of the AOAD during its 43 years. The most important achievement was the preparation and follow-up of the Sustainable Arab Agricultural Development Strategy for the two decades 2005-2025. Moreover, the implementation of the emergency food security program launched by the Economic, Development and Social Summit held in Kuwait in 2009.

Dr Al AHaj added that the AOAD prepared the Arab Strategy for Aquaculture (2017-2037), which was approved at the Amman Summit 2017. Then he gave a brief around the projects carried out at the request of the beneficiary country and financed from the AOAD's budget. The AOAD carried out about 973 regional projects and 246 national projects. During (2001-2016) the AOAD implemented about 22 joint-funded projects to overcome specific common problems in a number of the Arab countries. The AOAD prepared 380 technical and scientific consultations aimed at addressing the technical problems facing the development of agricultural sectors in the Arab countries. In addition to many national, regional and national training courses, where 1457 training courses were carried out, benefiting about (36860) cadres. The AOAD carried out studies, periodic reports, workshops, conferences, meetings and the AOAD Prize for Agricultural and Fish Scientific Innovation, which started in 1997. The prize encouraged Arab researchers. 739 Arab researches won the prize till now.