Abu Dhabi Launches Ambitious Protein Fermentation Hub with EVERY and Vivici Partnership

Abu Dhabi’s ambitions for next‑generation food tech just took a big step forward. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office has teamed up with The EVERY Company and Vivici — two known champions in the alternative protein world — to push forward a biotechnology‑based protein fermentation hub in the emirate. In plain English, they’re talking about using clever microbes to brew up proteins instead of relying on animals. Not quite sci‑fi, but close.

What caught my eye is the scale: the partners are exploring a four‑million‑litre facility. That’s no kitchen experiment; it’s full industrial scale. Protein fermentation, if you’re not familiar, uses microscopic organisms to make proteins and other valuable ingredients. It could help tackle both food security and environmental pressures — a growing concern here in the MENA region. Globally, this market is tipped to leap from about $3 billion now to over $54 billion by 2032, which is frankly staggering.

For Abu Dhabi, this project weaves neatly into its AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance (AGWA) cluster, a long‑term plan that brings science and sustainability together in tackling food and water scarcity. The facility is expected to meet strict food‑safety and Halal standards, and it might eventually host more players in the fermentation space — a clever way to crowd in innovation. There’s also talk of a regional regulatory framework to make sure future companies have a clear route to market. That’s spot on, if you ask me; too often, good ideas get stuck in red tape.

Fatima Al Dhaheri from ADIO said it plainly: partnerships like this one are meant to “catalyse an entirely new industry” that creates quality jobs and long‑term economic value. And I reckon she’s right — Abu Dhabi’s toolkit of funding, talent and infrastructure gives these ventures a real fighting chance. On the flip side, scaling new food technologies always brings a bit of a faff with regulation and consumer trust… so there’s still plenty of work ahead.

The CEOs involved sounded equally enthused. The EVERY Company’s Arturo Elizondo underlined how his firm’s proteins can replace traditional egg products without the health or supply risks that often plague conventional agriculture. Vivici’s boss, Stephan van Sint Fiet, called Abu Dhabi the ideal place to make precision fermentation a commercial reality — citing the emirate’s “unique combination of capital, talent and infrastructure.” Hard to argue with that.

Beyond the technical talk, the partnership has its eye on skills and education too. There are plans to work with local universities and training providers to build up home‑grown expertise in biotechnology. Having seen young founders in the region hustle to launch sustainable food startups, I can’t help but smile — collaborations like this could really open doors for them. At Arageek, we’ve met plenty of ambitious teams dreaming of similar impact; this move might just make those dreams a little more reachable.

Both companies bring plenty to the table already. Vivici, for example, achieved self‑affirmed GRAS status for its whey protein in its first year, while EVERY holds a US patent for its precision‑fermented ovalbumin — a big leap for egg‑equivalent ingredients. Together with ADIO’s strategic backing, they’re planting the seeds for an industry that could change how the MENA region feeds itself in the years ahead. And believe it or not, that’s not just good economics — it’s good common sense, too.

I’m definatly curious to see if Abu Dhabi can turn this head start into global leadership in alternative proteins. If it does, we might soon be clinking our glasses (of fermented protein shakes, perhaps?) to toast a new chapter in sustainable food innovation.

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