Expo 2023 Doha/ Minister of Municipality to QNA: Expo Upgrades Qatar's Pioneering Status as Regional, International Hub for Hosting Major Events

Doha, October 22 (QNA) - HE Minister of Municipality and Chairman of the national committee for hosting the Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie underscored the significance of hosting conferences and major events by Qatar, including agricultural exhibitions in quest of promoting its status on the map of vital international events. He pointed out that the Expo 2023 Doha is considered the largest event to be hosted by the State of Qatar after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which contributes to upgrading its pioneering status as a vital regional and international hub for major events. In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE the minister pointed out that this global expo features the participation of 80 states and is anticipated to draw more than 3 million visitors over the next six months, adding that such a unique edition of the expo strives to promote the notion of green desert as a primary focus to be highlighted in the coming years, which constitutes an opportunity to explore innovative solutions that address water scarcity, desertification problems, handling climate changes, establishing a platform that brings together persons and ideas to accelerate the pace of innovation, creativity, research and scientific progress in modern agriculture to produce a secure and sustainable food for world population. HE the minister pointed out that this major global event largely contributes to updating the plans pursued by the ministry to further utilize the latest cutting-edge agricultural technologies, especially in agricultural digital transformation to achieve efficiency in production, ensure sustainability, preservation of natural resources, as well as achieve Qatar National Vision 2030. This global event helps upgrade services, localize agricultural facilities, and promote local production through expansion in the utilization of cutting-edge crop production technologies that are appropriate for local climate settings to increase the space of planted areas and elevate the percentage of self-sufficiency from food commodities, carry out projects to optimize the efficiency of utilizing irrigation water in agriculture through using modern irrigation systems. He emphasized that the event also contributes to establishing new projects in aquaculture, optimizing local production of fresh fish, in addition to achieving a production boom that upgrades self-sufficiency rates in animal products to globally advanced rates in global food security indicator, and subsequently increase the strategic stock of key and essential commodities in times of crises and disasters. HE Minister of Municipality added that Expo 2023 Doha broadly addresses four major themes; modern agriculture through which the scientific progress is harnessed in producing safe, sustainable and cost-effective foods, particularly in desert settings, as well as technology and innovation, pointing out that the themes focuses on new technologies management to bolster agricultural productivity and achieve equilibrium of environmental sustainability and primarily focuses on raising the global awareness on the importance of conserving the environment and sustainability. They also focus on achieving balance between a variety of needs, in addition to promoting economic, technological, and environmental awareness, His Excellency affirmed. Expo 2023 Doha promotes the bridges of communication between the Qatari private sector and its counterparts globally through their engagement in this global activity to further hold bilateral meetings to share expertise, as well as sign agreements and memorandums of understanding to reinforce cooperation in agriculture, Al Subaie pointed out, indicating that the expo is a valuable opportunity to create a convergence hub among all officials, experts and professionals in agriculture and horticulture to share expertise and utilize innovation, research and scientific progress in the area of modern agriculture to produce safe and sustainable food production with cost-effective prices for world population with the essential efforts to reduce effects of climate change. Commenting on the significance of Qatar's hosting this event notwithstanding that Qatar is characterized by a desert climate, HE Minister of Municipality outlined that hosting Expo 2023 Doha is an opportunity to explore innovative solutions that handle water scarcity, desertification, and avenues to deal with climate change challenges. He indicated that the organization of this event reflects the confidence Qatar has gained, stemming from its enduring efforts to support environment conservation efforts and sustainability to further accomplish the milestones it has achieved in this field, affirming that this critical global expo that runs for 179 days is a vital platform to achieve sustainability in agriculture and horticulture and an opportunity to formulate innovative solutions with the participation of nearly 80 states, along with international organizations, as well as various representatives of the state sectors. He elucidated that the expo draws agricultural stakeholders, academics and research think tanks to share expertise and learn about the cutting-edge innovations utilized in irrigation and horticulture, as well as major firms and leading factories in agricultural technology and horticulture which primarily help upgrade Qatari national experience to achieve ambitions in food security, along with the optimum utilization of resources through capitalizing on the experiences of others, as well as briefing them on Qatar's experience in increasing the green areas, water rationalization, preservation of natural resources and utilization of cutting-edge technologies. Commenting on the reason behind the co-opting for the motto of the event: 'Green Desert, Better Environment', HE Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie said the selection of this motto is a testament to the possibility of converting countries of a desert climate into a green oasis and large gardens through expansion in the construction of parks and the cultivation of trees and plants through utilizing cutting-edge technologies, despite the challenges that were posing impediments in the past, such as water scarcity and dry of soil. He pointed out that prior to launching of Doha expo, the main building of Expo 2023 Doha that was constructed by the Public Works Authority 'Ashghal' has been registered in Guinness World Records, because it occupies a largest green roof in the world, extending over an area of 4,031 square meters. 

With regard to the expected role of Expo 2023 Doha in finding easy solutions to irrigation issues, reducing agricultural costs and adopting modern systems, HE Minister of Municipality and Chairman of the national committee for hosting the Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie said the Ministry of Municipality, over the past years, has attached importance to improving agricultural methods, raising the efficiency of irrigation systems, and reducing agricultural production costs, with the aim of supporting farmers to continue the production process and cope with challenges, especially with regard to the scarcity of groundwater in the State of Qatar and the difficult climatic conditions. He pointed out that the country benefits from the participation of countries with multiple climates as they showcase the modern technologies and capabilities that meet the conditions of agricultural production in the State of Qatar, contribute to achieving food security, enhance production efficiency, and raise the technical and marketing capabilities of farmers there. His Excellency noted that the world views this important international exhibition as an international gathering that discusses agricultural concerns, not only at the level of desert countries with high temperatures, poor soil and water scarcity, but on a global scale. It is expected to witness the launch of initiatives that contribute effectively to overcoming the difficulties facing the agricultural sector and expanding it, he added. He expressed his aspiration to explore all that new in the field of water rationalization through what is displayed by leading international companies from various countries of the world in terms of these modern technologies that can be used in the irrigation system for productive farms or green spaces, in addition to the use of innovative technologies such as automated irrigation and agriculture without water, soil hydroponic and aquaponics to enhance the quality and quantity of vegetables and fruits, in addition to converting air saturated with moisture into water suitable for irrigation to reduce waste. Regarding the Qatari innovations, initiatives and projects presented to the participants, His Excellency stated that the exhibition reflects the interest of the State of Qatar in innovations and initiatives that would contribute to finding solutions to the challenges of desertification, plant propagation and increasing the green area through the conferences accompanying Expo 2023. The exhibition was keen to attract all global technologies that reduce desertification, contribute to increasing the green area and agricultural lands, and preserve the existing available water resources, as well as review a number of experiments with modern agricultural systems introduced by Qatari farms, which have many advantages in increasing the green area, such as: agriculture using hydroponic technology, vertical farming and high-tech hydroponic agriculture, which includes increasing production in narrow spaces, reducing labor and eliminating costly operations. In this context, he pointed out that the State of Qatar is adopting many green initiatives, including, for example, the initiative to plant one million trees that was completed and celebrated after the millionth tree was planted with the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. In addition to this, the State of Qatar also launched the initiative to plant ten million trees until the year 2030, within the framework of addressing agricultural challenges to reach an equation that contributes to increasing the green area and achieving a sustainable future by promoting the concept of green cities in the Middle East region and encouraging innovation in the field of horticulture, with a focus on climate and water elements in the State of Qatar. There are other initiatives related to methods of using modern irrigation techniques that save water and reliance on treated water, as rates of irrigation of green spaces using treated water in the State of Qatar have reached about 75 percent, which is considered a significant rate as it contributes to preserving desalinated water, benefiting from exploiting available renewable materials to increase the green area. The Ministry of Municipality, represented by the Department of Public Parks, supervises the central automatic irrigation system in all municipalities, which supplies plants with their actual water needs without waste, he added. On Qatari farmers benefit from this global event, His Excellency affirmed that it provides an opportunity for farm owners to gain the expertise, technologies and modern experiences of the countries participating in the event. It also sees the participation of some farms in the activities accompanying the event to display local products and highlight the level of quality reached in a short period, as well as exchange experiences with the participating parties, he said, indicating that the exhibition constitutes an opportunity to explore everything new regarding sustainable agriculture and innovation in the agricultural field and contribute in part to the marketing of Qatari farm products through "Farmers Market", a space where farmers and international pavilions can display their products to the public and introduce their activities, and it brings together under its umbrella the finest local and international products. His Excellency continued by saying that the exhibition also contributes to providing innovative solutions in the agricultural field and creating an attractive economic environment. It encourages farm owners to attend conferences held within the Expo agenda, allowing local farms and companies to learn about the latest findings in the field of agriculture as well as the latest technology methods used. He pointed out that the Organizing Committee of Expo 2023 Doha granted local farmers pavilions and additional spaces free of charge to facilitate their participation in the exhibition. Regarding the launch of new Qatari initiatives to expand the green area, HE the Minister of Municipality pointed out that there are many initiatives and projects developed by the Ministry to increase green spaces in various parts of the country, including the Ministry's development of 16 parks in different municipalities, in addition to a central park such as Rawdat Al Hamama Park, and the maintenance of many other parks that will be opened soon. The Ministry's efforts, over the past years, have also resulted in doubling the green spaces in the State of Qatar by more than 10 times since 2010, as the number of public parks increased from 56 parks in 2010 to 143 in 2023, an increase of 164 percent, and the per capita share of green space increased from 1 square meters in 2010 to 14.7 square meters in 2023, in addition to expanding the initiative to plant one million trees to 10 million trees by 2030. The strategic plan of the Ministry of Municipality within this initiative includes establishing a forest and a green belt around the city of Doha, in addition to many public parks and squares. The number of producing and marketing farms has increased to more than 500, and local production of vegetables has increased by an estimated 82 percent over the past five years, thanks to the use of agricultural techniques and plant research with the utmost levels of sustainability. (QNA)