In February 2026, Barakat began construction on the GCC's first industrial-scale, locally produced baby food manufacturing facility in KEZAD with a $40.8 million investment. Barakat also hosted the UAE Circular Economy Council’s first meeting of 2026, in April, which focused on food security and driving food industry growth. Among its goals was to upcycle 50 to 60 tons per day of food byproducts into value streams and drive local sourcing through the 100-Mile Initiative in partnership with local farms. D’Costa assumed his current role in 2020.