For Ali Razeen of Kelaa, the working day doesn’t begin at 8am.

It begins after Fajr.

Before heading to his full-time civil service job at Kelaa Police Station, Razeen spends his mornings working on his farms — until around 7:30am. At 4pm, when his official workday ends, he returns to the fields.

Razeen started farming after moving to Kelaa in 2018, inspired by childhood memories of farming with his parents. What began as a way to earn additional income has grown into one of the island’s leading farming ventures.

Through a farming project supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and IFAD, Razeen received access to a greenhouse, crops and essential equipment, while various training programmes helped him build his knowledge and skills.

Now, he wants to take farming even further.

Razeen and nine other farmers from Kelaa have applied for a grant to establish 10 greenhouses, with plans to grow a wider variety of crops sustainably and supply fresh produce to nearby islands and resorts throughout the year.

For Razeen, farming is more than a side job.

“Farming is not dirty work. It is a profitable business,” he says, encouraging young people to consider agriculture as a career and an opportunity.

From a few hours before work to another shift after work, Razeen is proving that with commitment, farming can grow into something much bigger.