JERUSALEM, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Israel plans to invest some 50 million U.S. dollars to build the Red Sea city of Eilat and its vicinity in the Negev Desert into an aquaculture and desert farming R&D center.

       The plan aims to significantly improve the quality of life and employment opportunities in Eilat area through fostering growth engines, innovation, and food production capabilities, while strengthening Israel's food security, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said in a statement on Sunday.

       As part of the plan, an academic-educational ecosystem will be established, and the government would offer incentives for enterprises to join in and co-launch an R&D park, said the ministry.

       The ministry hopes the region's vast desert areas and deep water off the coast will allow research to be carried out easily and safely.