Qatar has huge resources and wise leadership along with a strong vision and policies suitable for the development of various sectors as set out in the State's development agenda, “QNV 2030”. Qatar encourages the transformation to depend on modern technology in the agricultural sector to overcome the obstacles facing this critical field. Challenges facing this sector are small area, scarcity of water, a shortage of arable land and a rapidly growing population. Consequently, effective scientific studies are very much needed to contribute to overcoming these problems in innovative ways. This is to contribute to achieving food and water security all over the State. Therefore, the idea of establishing a specialized centre for agricultural research, "Agricultural Research Station", came up. It was approved in 2020 within the scientific research system affiliated to Research and Graduate Studies Sector at Qatar University.
The new research station aims to create and develop innovative agricultural techniques. This is to provide the best ways to use the available natural resources and meet the challenges of dryland farming, including advanced irrigation systems and application of integrated agricultural pest management and plant disease control. The station further aims to develop and create organic and sustainable crops to include crop rotation and apply sustainable organic fertilizer production on farms to increase and preserve agricultural soil fertility.
The Agricultural Research Station (ARS) is a newly established research entity under the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies (VPRGS) at Qatar University (QU) in the year 2020. Located 60km north of the State of Qatar in Rawdat Al-Fares, the ARS sits on 419, 927, 60 Square meters area (about 54.3 hectares) with rich land vegetation cover comprising 782 palm trees, 11 different trees and shrub plants fields, including medicinal and economic species, an apiary, greenhouses, a nursery, and a factory for year-round (12 months) vegetable cultivation in Qatar. Available are also several other open areas for academic research and recreational activities. The ARS embodies excellence in Agricultural Research and Development (R&D) in support of Qatar’s food security agenda. Through its three take-up programs of Agricultural engineering, plant conservation, and date palm studies, the ARS prioritizes value-added research on food security and safety, using state-of-the-art agricultural technologies (e.g., energy and water resources saving) for sustainable food production in Qatar.