Ras Al-Khaimah was chosen to establish the United Arab Emirate (UAE)'s first commercial turf farm with an approximate annual capacity of one million bushels per year. Operated by Hydroturf International, the farm is set to lay the foundation for the commercial turf farm industry in the Emirates.
Flourishing in the United States and Europe, commercial turf farms represent a new business activity in the UAE. Due to continuous government effort green areas have experienced rapid expansion over the years. Today, the UAE is endowed with approximately 70,000,000 square meters of green zones.
Covering an area of 200,000 square meters, the farm will provide the Tower Links Golf Club, the 18-hole golf course under construction in the Emirate with steady supplies of high quality grass. The grass has been developed by the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia specifically for the greens on golf courses.
“The new turf has revolutionized the golf industry, as it allows for the construction of golf courses in areas which do not have a ready supply of ‘clean' water,” explained Managing Director of Hydroturf International, Colin Baxter.
In addition to tourism and banking Ras Al Khaimah has invested in various industrial/production facilities. The emirate industrial portfolio includes pharmaceutical production, cement and marble factories and a bottling unit amongst others. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
