The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG) recently welcomed a delegation from the Embassy of Switzerland in Qatar for a team-building outing.

QBG is a member of Qatar Foundation and is the first garden in the world to exhibit all 60 plant species mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, Hadith and Sunnah.

QBG staff walked the delegation through the garden and their facilities, as well as through their mock-up garden in Education City. The Swiss delegation of 15 members visited the garden as part of a team-building activity. They learned about the rich variety of plants and trees in Islamic culture, their relevance in the Holy Qur’an, Hadith and Sunnah.

The guests were also shown around the QBG Botanical Museum, which displays plant modules and traditional tools made from plants, that illustrates botanical terms in the Holy Qur’an and immerses visitors in authentic Arab and Islamic heritage and traditions. The visit took place with strict adherence to social distancing and COVID-19 preventive and precautionary safety measures.

HE Edgar Doerig, Ambassador of Switzerland to the State of Qatar, said they were surprised and happy to discover such a beautiful hidden treasure in Education City with plenty of exotic plants as described in the Holy Qur’an, thanking also their guides, QBG Director Fatima Al Khulaifi and horticulturist Mohamed Hassona.

Al Khulaifi said they are delighted that the Swiss Embassy in Doha selected QBG as a venue for their team-building activity. She said that Switzerland and Qatar have enjoyed excellent bilateral relations for over 40 years and QBG is humbled to make their contribution to these already strong ties.

We look forward to renewed visits from the Swiss Embassy, as well as other embassies in Qatar and the general public to our beautiful garden.

A number of embassies – including the embassies of the UK, Russia, Turkey, India, as well as Mali, Djibouti, and South Africa – have already recognised the important role that QBG plays in environmental conservation and restoration, actively participatign in the QBG Ghars campaign and other tree-planting activities. The embassy of Senegal earlier this year, also helped launch the QBG African Women’s Diplomatic Garden – a first in the country – in celebration of Qatar Environment Day.

Environmental Campaigns

A key initiative of QBG is the Ghars campaign, which aims to plant and cultivate 2,022 trees in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. The campaign is well on track for successfully completing this challenge, with close to 2,000 trees already planted, with the assistance of embassies, as well as the greater community.

Additionally, in a bid to support the Environmental Development pillar of QNV 2030, protect ecosystems, and empower community members to be active contributors to these efforts, QBG recently launched its free-of-charge ‘Home Garden Phone Helpline’. The initiative enables the public to pose any home gardening questions directly to QBG experts via their helpline number  3091 8519 available every Monday, 9 am to 12:30 pm, and every Wednesday, 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm.

More information on upcoming events, competitions and activities can be found on QBG social media channels. For more details, visit qbg.org.qa.