The Doha International Horticultural Expo in Qatar began its nearly 6-month run on October 2, 2023. Event organizers predict the attendance of 3 million people from across the globe before the March 28, 2024 ending date.
The Expo is taking place at Al Bidda Park, a vast ground on the Arabian Gulf that covers 1.7 million square meters. The park’s attractive botanical farm will also bring culture shock to visitors with its multiple species.
The horticultural show carries the theme “Green Desert, Better Environment” with the sub-niches of modern agriculture and innovation.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sh. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani opened the Expo with words of accountability.
He emphasized his nation’s “call for adoption of eco-friendly approaches.”
As the first ever category “A1” global horticultural fair to ever take place in the Arab Gulf, this event will sensitize on desertification. It will also alert the world on the need to keep a weather eye on ecological degradation to promote climate action.
The Expo’s website identifies the three key themes of the event as follows:
- Modern agriculture: merging existing and new agricultural technologies so as to utilize resources in a sustainable way.
- Technology and innovation: raising the bar on farm yields and helping achieve ecological sustainability.
- Environmental awareness: keeping alive global consciousness on the shared environment, to bring long-term changes.
The Expo will also bring out the cultural side of Asia. In November, resident Chinese in Qatar will hold cultural shows at the event’s venue.
So far, 57 nations from the Middle East region and around the world have confirmed attendance, according to the host.
US-Qatar Agricultural Input
The Expo will invoke Qatar’s reliance on agricultural imports from the West, including the United States.
Qatar is a net importer of agricultural products from the United States, ranking 56th globally for this market. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Qatar imported $31.7 million worth of beef and beef products from the U.S. in 2022.
Vegetable oils however, took the lion’s share of imports in 2022 at $26.67 million, with a growth of 4012%.
Raw agricultural products’ imports from the U.S. to Qatar worth mention included hay ($9.04 million) and tree nuts at $7.33 million.
Thus, as the Doha International Horticultural Expo comes home, it will help expose the need for making an oasis of a desert environment.