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Doha Information mourns 13 lives misplaced in Ras Laffan blast
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July 22, 2026
Doha Information startup grows hydroponics for a warmer, drier long term
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Future
July 21, 2026
Doha Information startup grows hydroponics for a warmer, drier long run
</p>_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20<p>Qatar is mourning the tragic loss of 13 lives following the June 21 explosion and fire at the Barzan local gas supply facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City. </p><p> </p><p>The deceased were of Indian and Pakistani nationalities, while 66 others of Qatari, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Kenyan, Ghanaian, Tanzanian, Nigerian, and Nepalese nationalities sustained injuries. None of the injured are in life threatening condition, according to Minister of State for Energy Affairs His Excellency Saad bin Sherida al Kaabi. </p><p> </p><p>Speaking to the media Monday, al Kaabi, who is also president and CEO of QatarEnergy, extended condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives. </p><p> </p><p>Al-Kaabi said QatarEnergy extends its heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives, and prays for the swift recovery of those injured. QatarEnergy pledges its full support to those affected by this tragedy, he also said. </p><p> </p><p>The minister stressed that the incident was an operational accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature. He explained that the Barzan plant had been shut since December 2025 for urgent maintenance and was restarted only two days before the accident. </p><p> </p><p>“The fire was quickly and fully extinguished by QatarEnergy Emergency Response Team and Qatar Civil Defence,” he noted. </p><p> </p><p>Despite the tragedy, al Kaabi emphasised that QatarEnergy’s LNG facilities, Ras Laffan Port, and logistical operations remain unaffected. </p><p> </p><p>“We have ample supplies of gas to make up for the loss from different projects and different capabilities that we have. So we don’t see any shortage. It will not affect anything regarding exports. It will not affect anything regarding our local requirements,” he said. </p><p> </p><p>Clarifying damage assessment and repair timelines, al Kaabi differentiated the Barzan incident from the earlier attack on QatarEnergy’s LNG trains at Ras Laffan, which involved proprietary cryogenic units requiring “three to five years” to replace. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s a different gas plant and a different area of the plant that was damaged,” he explained, underscoring QatarEnergy’s commitment to transparency in announcing definitive timelines once investigations are complete. </p><p> </p><p>He also dismissed concerns about environmental impact, confirming that “there is no loss of containment and there’s no environmental impact.” </p><p> </p><p>In its official statement, QatarEnergy said work is underway to assess the damage to Barzan and neighbouring facilities. It reiterated that LNG facilities, Ras Laffan Port, other logistics operations, and export capabilities remain unaffected as a result of the explosion and fire.</p>__%20%20%20%20<p>Related%20Story</p>_%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20__%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20<img%20loading=?resize=150,150&ssl=1 "Doha Information mourns 13 lives misplaced in Ras Laffan blast")
.</p><p>Adaya, who has lived in Qatar for more than 15 years, discovered the potential of soilless cultivation while looking for meaningful ways to spend time with his family during the global health crisis. The success of producing fresh food at home prompted him to share his experience through social media and small community workshops, he said.</p><p>“We started growing vegetables through hydroponics at home, and I was amazed that we could produce fresh, healthy food without soil. As I shared our journey on social media and through small community workshops, I realised many people in Qatar were eager to learn about modern farming but didn’t know where to begin,” he explained.</p><p>This localised interest led to the launch of the ‘Future of Agriculture – Hydroponics’ advocacy, noted Adaya, adding that the initiative aims to make modern farming practices accessible to families, schools, and local entrepreneurs.</p><p>The transition from financial services to agricultural technology proved natural for Adaya, who explained that his finance background provided critical perspective in data analysis, risk management, and the formulation of sustainable business models.</p><p>“People often think finance and agriculture are completely different fields, but I see many similarities. My background in finance taught me how to analyse data, manage risks, create sustainable business models, and make informed long-term decisions,” he pointed out.</p><p>Adaya said, “Agriculture today is no longer just about planting crops. It involves technology, resource management, innovation, and sustainability. Financial discipline helped me understand how to build solutions that are both environmentally sustainable and economically viable”.</p><p>Operating within Qatar requires navigating specific environmental constraints, he pointed out.</p><p>“Qatar’s climate presents unique challenges. The extreme summer temperatures, limited freshwater resources, and high cooling requirements make farming difficult. In the beginning, we experienced crop failures, equipment issues, and many trial-and-error experiments. Instead of seeing those as failures, we treated every challenge as valuable research,” he said.</p><p>Adaya continued, “Those experiences convinced me that Qatar doesn’t need to copy farming methods from other countries. We need technologies specifically designed for desert environments. That belief continues to drive our research and development today.”</p><p>According to Adaya, the establishment of Hydrovest Technology was intended to address an identified gap in the domestic market. While large-scale public investments have enhanced national food security, affordable technology and technical guidance remained scarce for smaller, community growers.</p><p>“I noticed that while Qatar has made remarkable investments in food security, there was still a need to make advanced farming technologies more accessible to the wider community.</p><p>“Many people were interested in hydroponics but lacked practical knowledge, affordable solutions, and technical guidance. Hydrovest Technology was created to bridge that gap by combining education, research, and innovation,” he stressed.</p><p>The company focuses on a broader definition of commercial success, said Adaya, who also emphasised that leadership in sustainability must balance financial metrics with societal value, focusing on inspiring local communities to adopt independent food production.</p><p>“Success should not be measured only by financial performance but also by the positive impact we create for society. If our work inspires one child to love agriculture or helps one family grow their own food, then we are already making a meaningful difference,” Adaya added.</p><p> </p>__%20%20%20%20<p>Related%20Story</p>_%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20_%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20__%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20<img%20loading=?resize=420,280&ssl=1 "Doha Information startup grows hydroponics for a warmer, drier long run")