First cucumber cultivation project in Qatar desert

Bio-engineeres from Qatar want to build a greenhouse complex, that could produce as many vegetables as European greenhouses, in the middle of the desert as part of the 'Sahara Forest Project' (SFP). The test greenhouse uses seawater to cool the building and it should be able to produce a harvest three times a year. This is way in which Qatar could reduce their dependence on imported vegetables. Salt is being extracted, while seawater cools the greenhouse. The fresh water made available by this process is used to spray the plants.

The SFP is a project in which citizens of Qatar wish to make the desert 'green' through using innovative technologies. The greenhouse complex lies on one hectare of land and is almost completely full of cucumber plants. When the area increases to eight hectares, Qatar will no longer have to import cucumbers. The end goal is to have 60 hectares in which to grow all sorts of vegetables. This way vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, and paprika's will longer need to be imported