Gulf food strategy tested as Iran war snarls shipping routes

Supplies are displayed on shelves at a supermarket, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana

DUBAI, March 5 (Reuters) - Wealthy Gulf states ⁠are facing their biggest food security challenge since the 2008 global food crisis, as the Iran conflict threatens ports and disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The war is testing strategies adopted after 2008, ⁠when soaring food prices prompted Gulf nations to shift toward import-dependent policies reliant on pouring cash into agricultural investments abroad.