KT Opens Smart Farm Tailored for the Disabled in UAE
AR Glasses Connect Leadership and Field Workers
Establishing a foothold for supplying ICT solutions to the Middle East

Growing vegetables in the desert is not easy. This is why agricultural productivity in the Middle East is particularly low, as the majority of the region has a desert climate. In response, KT has introduced a smart farm incorporating advanced ICT in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Starting with this expansion into the Middle East, KT plans to actively supply cutting-edge ICT solutions to various overseas regions facing difficulties in agricultural production due to harsh environments.

On the 18th (local time), KT held a launch ceremony for the 'Smart Farm Tailored for People with Disabilities' in Khorfakkan, Sharjah, UAE, together with the Sharjah Humanitarian Center. This marks the first time KT has established a smart farm overseas.

Sharjah is the third largest of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, following Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), the first specialized organization for people with disabilities established in the UAE in 1979, is a government agency that supports the rehabilitation, education, and social welfare of people with disabilities.
The launch ceremony was attended by Korean officials including KT Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu, Consul General of Korea in Dubai Jeon Young-wook, and Director of the Disabled Enterprise Support Center (DEBC) Kim Su-han, as well as local officials including Sheikh Saeed bin Sakr bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Vice Chairman of the Governing Body of Sharjah, and Sheikha Jamila, Princess of Sharjah and Director of the SCHS, along with about 100 people with disabilities.

At the launch ceremony, KT and SCHS pledged to provide educational support related to smart farm operations for one year in partnership with DEBC to revitalize local ICT agriculture, create jobs for the disabled, and improve their living standards. KT and SCHS stated that they expect the smart farm tailored for the disabled, which opened in Khor Fakkan, UAE, to achieve a dual benefit: boosting the will for independence of the disabled through advanced ICT and increasing agricultural productivity in the harsh desert climate.

The UAE is a region with very low agricultural productivity due to annual rainfall of less than 100 mm and scorching heat exceeding 40 degrees. In particular, it is difficult to grow fresh vegetables, so the country relies on imports for a significant portion of its demand. To solve this problem, Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, is even pushing ahead with the construction of a 'vertical farm,' an apartment-style farm, in Dubai, UAE, at a cost of $40 million (approximately 45 billion won).

Since launching its smart farm business utilizing ICT in 2014, KT has established facility horticulture solutions in over 100 locations nationwide. Additionally, the smart farm tailored for people with disabilities, unveiled for the first time in Korea in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province in 2016, has garnered attention for its facilities optimized for the disabled and its cutting-edge ICT. Above all, it is receiving high marks for employing people with disabilities to boost their will for independence and for having a positive effect on their emotional well-being.

The UAE smart farm tailored for people with disabilities spans approximately 600 square meters (180 pyeong) and incorporates facilities optimized for the disabled along with advanced ICT. Through augmented reality (AR) glasses, managers located outside the facility can remotely provide real-time training or solutions to workers on-site. Additionally, all facilities can be remotely controlled via a PC or mobile app using internal and external sensors, and various types of information can be collected through these sensors.

AR glasses are a solution that actively reflects the reality of the Middle East, where there is a shortage of skilled agricultural personnel. While traditionally experts had to be stationed on-site to provide guidance on farming techniques, AR glasses allow users to assess on-site conditions and teach corrective measures or farming skills from distant cities via PCs or tablets. Furthermore, the various types of information collected through sensors are expected to be utilized as big data to boost agricultural productivity not only in Sharjah but throughout the entire UAE.

In addition, considering the geographical characteristics of the UAE, which has high temperatures and water scarcity, a cooling system with low energy consumption and a cultivation facility with a water-recycling structure that reuses water were applied. The facilities were also improved to ensure that workers with disabilities would not experience any inconvenience. Considering the characteristics of wheelchairs and mobility aids, the floor was made of rubber and automatic doors were installed.

KT anticipates that the newly opened smart farm tailored for people with disabilities will serve as a bridgehead for supplying ICT solutions to the Middle East, including the UAE, and act as a stepping stone for the global expansion of its smart farm business. To this end, the company has agreed to further strengthen cooperation with the government of Sharjah across various sectors.

SCHS expects that the UAE’s customized smart farm for people with disabilities will not only create jobs for local residents but also provide rehabilitation benefits through crop cultivation. In the future, we plan to expand infrastructure such as electricity, water, and telecommunications at smart farms, and promote various activities including supporting crop cultivation for people with disabilities and operating field trip programs.

Princess Jamila, Director of SCHS, who showed great interest in AR glasses and ICT complex environment control applied to smart farms, said, “We have taught students with disabilities how to harvest crops in smart farms, and these students are also scheduled to be involved in commercializing the harvested crops,” adding, “I hope that smart farms will provide jobs for students with disabilities and help increase their income.”

"I hope that the world's first customized smart farm for the disabled, incorporating South Korea's ICT solutions, will contribute to the rehabilitation, job creation, and income improvement of people with disabilities in the UAE," said KT Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu. "Starting with the opening of the smart farm in the UAE, KT will actively supply ICT solutions to increase agricultural productivity in the harsh Middle East region, while continuing ICT-based global social contribution activities to further enhance its recognition in the international community."

Meanwhile, at the launch ceremony, KT presented 50 smart Braille watches developed by the Korean startup Dot to visually impaired people in the UAE. The smart Braille watch is a product that allows the visually impaired to check the time and text messages in Braille. KT stated that it chose the smart Braille watches as a gift to help domestic small and medium-sized enterprises and venture companies in the field of disability welfare expand into overseas markets.