Ace of Spades

Considering Qatar’s huge emphasis on infrastructure development in light of Qatar National Vision 2030, how would you consider the growing popularity of landscaping in the country?

The popularity of landscaping is growing in the entire region, and especially in Qatar as the country gears up to host international events, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Every project requires landscaping in order to add that final touch of beautification. This trend has been growing since 2006, when the Asian Games were hosted here. With all the projects currently underway, there is a great need for more sophisticated landscaping, which is good news for us.

To what extent is demand from public and private sectors balanced?

Our services are universally popular. There are many private sector projects, although we tend to be involved in the larger, government projects.

How are you positioned to serve the landscaping industry?

The definition of landscaping has changed drastically over the past few years. A decade ago, landscaping was all about soft landscaping and irrigation, including the planting of flowers, other plants, and grass. Now, however, it is more about complete turnkey jobs. The definition of the business has changed and expanded, which is why we believe that we have created a difference between Al Nakheel Agriculture and Trading and the rest of the market. The word landscaping, in my opinion, is everything that you see when you go outside. People may well take it for granted, but they certainly appreciate it when they see it in terms of the quality it adds to daily life. We are more ready than ever to provide the right solutions.

How do you factor sustainability into your work?

There are many related issues to contend with on this front. First of all, we need to promote water conservation and implement irrigation systems that save water and make efficient use of it through automated irrigation systems. We also use materials that are locally sourced from this part of the world. There is a major trend in Qatar toward utilizing native plants that are easier to maintain and consume less water. We proudly believe that we have achieved a level of sustainability that surpasses the efforts of our competition.

How is your portfolio expanding and what are your plans for future projects?

We are proud of every project we undertake, and big or small, we put our heart into each one, as every client is important to us. This is a small country, so any failure would reflect badly on our reputation. That’s why we are always on top of our game, and immediately rectify anything not absolutely to our high standards. We maintain efficient contact with our clients, consultants, and contractors to better serve them. And over the coming years, we will take on more projects related to World Cup developments.

What importance does the human factor have for your company?

It is at once the most important factor and the most difficult element of any business, but even more so in our business. Not many universities produce landscape engineers, and highly qualified individuals are hard to find wherever you are. Lebanon is one of the few countries in our region that is strong in landscape architecture. However, as we know, architects are one thing and landscape engineers another. Usually, the best among our engineers and project managers are civil engineers who have been fortunate enough to enter into our field and learn the business through hands-on experience. It is a challenging and constant struggle.