The environmental activist, Dabia Abdullah Bin Muhammad As-Siliti, Manager of Al-Khamis Reserve of Truffles and Wild Plants, is one of the first activists who advocates launching environmental development initiatives. She started her environmental volunteering work on 1997. In addition, she is a researcher and lecturer on the Qatari heritage, culture and environment since 1984.
Researcher Dabia As-Siliti worked as a Consultant in Qatar National Museum in the field of social, cultural and environmental heritage from 2016 to 2017. She has been selected as one of the most Influential 100 Arab Personalities in the field of Social Responsibility on January 19, 2022.
The most impotent environmental initiatives:
– Contributed with Engineer Khamis Bin Muhammad Bin Khamis As-Siliti to establishing Al-Khamis Reserve of Truffles and Wild Plants on 1997. The Reserve boomed by cultivating several rare wild plants such as Cordia Sinensis, Adder’s Tongues, Dayflowers and Cinnamon Basil. Cinnamon Basil was extinct from the Qatari desert and it was planted in Al-Khamis Reserve for the first time in the State of Qatar on 2019. The Reserve also contains a field seed bank for more than 120 Qatari wild plants. These plants have been saved from extinction and they were developed and protected.
– Launched Khamis Bin Muhammad Environmental Research Competition under the title “Qatar Desert is a National Treasure”. The wining family was granted 30 wild seedlings on 2019.
– Contributed to monitoring and protecting caper bush in the Qatari desert, disseminating the culture of making use of it as well as its nutritional and therapeutic products, and planting it in the Caper Bush Center of People with Special Needs on 2020.
– Launched Khamis Bin Muhammad As-Siliti’s Initiative for Qatar Afforestation and the Promotion of Environmental Development on 2020.
– Established the first wild nursery in Qatar for perennial and seasonal trees and wild plants in Qatar in Zar`a Al-Khamis at Samrat Khataaf. It protects the only Acacia Tortilis tree in the region since 2000.
– Planted the rare Qatari Cordia Sinensis to protect it from extinction since 2000. Producing fruits and wild natural herbs in Qatar and promoting them from the cultural and nutritional aspects.
– Assumed the Initiative of Protecting the Historical Acacia Tortilis Tree in Zar`a Al-Khamis from breaking and lumbering. The Initiative is known as Samrat Khataaf since 2015.
– Advocated the establishment of the first Qatari Environmental Association “Al Shabhana Environmental Association” in 2016. She also established a nursery for the Association in Al-Khamis Zar`a and Reserve. She fully supervised it, followed up its activities and fulfilled its needs.
– Launched the Initiative of Saving and Protecting Acacia Nilotica in Al-Maamurah Area. It is a historical and ancient tree and is considered as the last remnant of the natural life in the area.
– Launched the Initiative of Qatar Afforestation on 2017. She created the WhatsApp Group “Together, we Work towards the Plantation and Afforestation of Qatar” to promote home and environmental farming.
– Showcased the experiments of the development of national plants and making use of them in the nutritional and therapeutic spheres during the National Day celebrations from 2016 to 2018.
– Launched the Initiative of “Developing and Protecting Wild Plants in Qatar” during the Qatari Environmental Day on 2020.
– Launched the Environmental Initiative of “Cut and do not Plant” to eliminate the proliferation of the intrusive trees which cause harms to the Qatari environment, such as Conocarpus and Calotropis Procera on 2020.
– Contributed to manufacturing a human-friendly mask by using and extracting oil from the wild Cordia Sinensis leaves in Al-Khamis Reserve.
– Volunteered to Ash-Shamal Elementary School with 200 various seedlings to plant them in the School Garden on 2020.
– Launched the initiative of granting the seedlings of the wild Cordia Sinensis to the top ten Qatari students in the General Secondary Education.
– Launched the initiative of granting 5 wild seedlings to each Qatari native desiring to practice wild plantation on 2021.
– Launched the Initiative of “Towards an Atmosphere Free of Unpleasant Odors” in cooperation with Al-Khamis Zar`a and Reserve, the Municipal Council, and Al-Khor Girls Center on 2021.
– Signed a Cooperation Agreement between the Qatar National Committee for Education, Culture and Science and Al-Khamis Reserve of Truffles and Wild Plants to disseminate the culture of environmental development and protection on 2021.
– Activated the event of Cinnamon Basil cultivation “Fragrance of Cinnamon Basil between the Past, Present and Future”.
– Participated in the Ninth and Tenth Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition and the Third Qatar International Environmental Exhibition.
– Organized the Exhibition “Qatar’s First Environmental Bounties” in Al-Khamis Zar`a and Reserve of Truffles and Wild Plants on 2023. The Exhibition aims at promoting the realization of sustainability and environmental agricultural development in the field of organic farming and wild environmental cultivation.
– Presented a working paper on “The Contribution of Qatar Wild Plants to Food Security: Sustainability of Food Security and Safe Sustainable Food” at the Tenth Qatar International Agricultural Conference and Exhibition on 2023.
