The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG), a member of Qatar Foundation and the first garden in the world to exhibit all 60 plant species mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, and Sunnah, recently welcomed a delegation from the Switzerland embassy in Qatar to its premises.
QBG staff walked the delegation through the garden, its facilities, and history, as well as its mock-up garden in Education City.
The Swiss delegation of 15 members visited the garden as part of a team-building activity and learned more about the rich variety of plants and trees in Islamic culture, their relevance in the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, and Sunnah.
In addition, the guests were shown around QBG’s Botanical Museum, which exhibits 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.
Switzerland's ambassador Edgar Doerig said: “The Swiss embassy team and myself were delighted to start our yearly excursion at QBG. We 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.”
QBG director Fatima al-Khulaifi said: “We are delighted that the Swiss embassy in Doha selected QBG as a venue for its team-building activity. Switzerland and Qatar have enjoyed excellent bilateral relations for over 40 years and QBG is humbled to make its 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 around the country have also recognised the important role that QBG plays in environmental conservation and restoration, taking an active part in QBG’s Ghars tree-planting campaign and other tree-planting activities,. The embassies of UK, Russia, Turkey, India, as well as Mali, Djibouti, South Africa, and Senegal are among the countries that, earlier this year, helped launch QBG’s African Women’s Diplomatic Garden – a first in the country, in celebration of Qatar Environment Day.
A key initiative of QBG is the Ghars campaign with a goal of planting and cultivating 2,022 trees in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Close to 2,000 trees have already been planted, with the assistance of embassies, as well as the greater community.
Additionally, in a bid to support the Environmental Development pillar of Qatar National Vision 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 by calling +974 3091 8519 every Monday from 9am – 12.30pm, and every Wednesday from 12.30pm – 2.30pm.
More information on its upcoming events, competitions, and activities can be found on QBG's social media channels — Instagram: Quranic_Botanic_Garden; Facebook: Qur'anic Botanic Garden; and Twitter: @QuranicGarden.
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