Recognition from Qatar

According to the IUA, local businesses supported by them have built several container-style vegetable planting centers in Qatar, which grow vegetables while outside temperatures are as high as 53 to 55 degrees Celsius.

Qatar has a strong interest in economic diversification, and is especially interested in producing food locally, marking a shift in its dependence on imports.

The country launched its National Food Security Strategy (2018-2023) with the aim of increasing vegetable production by setting up a hydroponics greenhouse cluster that will produce 70 percent of its vegetables.

Fardan Fahad Alfardan, founder of the Alfardan family farm, told Xinhua News Agency last year that he believes that in order to achieve the 70 percent goal, Qatar should not only increase investment in agriculture but also speed up the introduction of high-tech and comprehensive agricultural technology.

He lauded China's advanced high-tech agricultural technology, saying it delivered pronounced economic benefits and would play a huge role in the implementation of Qatar's National Food Security Strategy.

He said that the Alfardan family farm mainly produces seasonal vegetables using high-tech growing technologies all imported from China, noting that the farm will expand production by leveraging China's sophisticated agricultural technologies.

He specifically mentioned the smart plant factory, saying it greatly improved economic efficiency and served as an important guarantee for the farm, and in helping to boost the development of agriculture in the country.

"In the beginning, we were only growing produce for our friends and family, and then neighbors. And now we want to share our produce with the rest of Qatar. But to do that, we need to find a partner with technology capable of growing the best products all year round. And for that, we found a very good Chinese partner," Alfardan told the Xinhua News Agency last year.