In the year 2003, the City of Hamburg was given a „Garden from the Desert“ by His Highness, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The garden, which had been part of the International Garden Exhibition in Rostock, Germany, was officially inaugurated in June 2005. Its main components are two glass pyramids in the shape of Dhow sails, now an integral and dominant part of the Botanical garden. The garden is used to inform visitors about topics such as desertification and traditional agriculture.
The University of Hamburg is now sending two representatives of the Botanical Garden to the UAE to further develop their knowledge about desert plants as well as traditional agriculture and falaj systems. The information gathered during their two-week stay will be used to restructure the land surrounding the glass pyramids. Mr. Volker Koepcke, Technical Director Plant Collection, and Mrs. Angela Jahns, Technical Manager for Economic Plants and for Desert Garden, will be meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water, the Abu Dhabi Municipality, the University of Al Ain, the Dubai Desert Conservation Centre, the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority as well as the Fujeirah Research Station of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Over 300,000 visitors per year come to the Botanical Garden in Hamburg to enjoy the beautiful landscapes, flowers and plants. To find out more, please contact Ms. Kristin Augsburg (kristin.augsburg@ahkuae.com) and Ms. Heike Murad (murad.gnto@dlh.de).
