Saudi Arabia has started building the world’s biggest botanical gardens

[al-Hasani]

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah International Gardens in Riyadh with include the world’s largest botanical gardens​

By Shane McGinley
Wednesday, 26 February 2014 11:13 AM

Saudi Arabia is set to lay the foundation stone for the King Abdullah International Gardens (KAIG) in Riyadh this week, with plans for the facility set to include the world’s largest botanical gardens, it was reported.

Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Mansour Bin Miteb will perform the ceremony on Thursday at the site, which will be 2.5m square metres in size and will be one of the largest environment projects in the world, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The plans include two separate elements: a covered section and an open area. The covered facility, which will be the largest of its kind in the world, will include two giant botanical gardens which will be five times bigger than the world’s largest geodesic domes at the Eden Project in the UK, the Saudi Gazette reported.

The outdoor area will include an open museum for plants, seeds bank and rocky garden, while the plans will also include research institutes, retail and hospitality outlets and a theatre, it added.

The project will focus on local plant life in the Arabian Peninsula and is designed to appeal to families and tourists.

Construction is already underway, with the levelling of the site and fencing works already completed.

Saudi Arabia to build world’s biggest botanical gardens - Construction - ArabianBusiness.com

 

[Arabian Legend]

It is already under construction if you want to change the title.

 

[al-Hasani]

It is already under construction if you want to change the title.

It's mentioned in the article that construction is under way but I just posted the original title. I will change it though since you are right.

Speaking about irrigation and gardens then this is actually an interesting article:

http://www.momra.gov.sa/generalserv/Specs/guid0015.asp?print=true

I wish that there were more focus on agriculture and the environment and people stopped being so wasteful.

Title changed.

 

[Hakan]

 

[Azeri440]

looks great , what is the cost of the project?

 

[Hakan]

This will be good for botany depending on how diverse the plants at the facility will be. Also it will be a good field trip location for the kids.

 

[Sam1980]

I have read about this in 2009 if I'm not mistaken, good move indeed. U.A.E wastes fukckton of water to keep a single golf course from turning brown, maybe they could learn a thing or two from their neighbors from both South and West

 

[Arabian Legend]

looks great , what is the cost of the project?

$800 millions

 

[al-Hasani]

I have read about this in 2009 if I'm not mistaken, good move indeed. U.A.E wastes fukckton of water to keep a single golf course from turning brown, maybe they could learn a thing or two from their neighbors from both South and West

People wasting water and in general just resources is a big problem across the ME. Not just in the UAE. But they often take things to the extreme since they can afford it. It's the same in KSA, Iran and elsewhere when it comes to being wasteful.

I don't know what the situation is in Turkey but probably better in this regard.

People need to learn how to be less wasteful and focus more on protecting the environment and alternative energy resources. There is no other way around it.

Most countries of the ME have a huge potential when it comes to solar and wind energy for instance. A bigger push should be made in that direction. KSA has started it but not sure about other countries of the region.

People are often completely ignorant compared to Western Europe were nearly everyone is aware of such things although not all follow it up with action it has to be said. But at least the governments are actually recycling resources and not wasting them.

A cultural change need to happen on this front. A big one if you ask me.

 

[Sam1980]

Most countries of the ME have a huge potential when it comes to solar and wind energy for instance. A bigger push should be made in that direction. KSA has started it but not sure about other countries of the region.

Iran currently generates 21 MWp, Saudi Arabia generates 4 MWp and Israel about 52MWp.

 

[al-Hasani]

This is why I believe that nuclear energy is the only solution outside of alternative energy sources. People take being blessed with many resources, in this case particularly oil and gas, as something natural and something that will last forever. Well it won't. Shale gas reserves or not.

What makes this matter even worse is the rapid population growth we see. I think that the population of ALL ME countries have grown at least 300% in the past 100 years. Even though they will not grow as rapidly in the coming decades we know that they will grow. Which will mean that more resources have to be wasted. Also because the living standards are growing. At least in the GCC. But even in the most volatile regions of the ME the tendency is for people to get richer.

Future wars will be fought for water and resources. But this can be largely solved by adopting nuclear energy, alternative energy sources and not being wasteful and learning how to recycle resources instead of wasting them.

But this requires a cultural change and action from the various governments and something tells me that they are not doing enough.

But since the problems will first occur when they and we are dead they probably do not care.

The West is not perfect but they are literary centuries ahead of everyone else on such matters.

Iran currently generates 21 MWp, Saudi Arabia generates 4 MWp and Israel about 52MWp.

Source please.

 

[Sam1980]

Source please.

Its highly classified

 

[cheekybird]

Will women be allowed to visit this place?

 

[SarthakGanguly]

Will women be allowed to visit this place?

Conditions apply

 

[cheekybird]

Conditions apply

That's what I thought