Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi has installed an advanced hydroponic farm on its property.
Therefore, the hotel will grow its own fresh produce, such as lettuce, herbs and microgreens.
Guests visiting Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island restaurants, including White's multi-cuisine restaurant, will be able to sample dishes made with ingredients sourced daily from that hydroponic farm.
Hydroponic production reportedly helps reduce water consumption by up to 90 percent as no soil is required for farming, while further reducing the carbon footprint created by traditional transportation methods used for the distribution.
It also facilitates shorter window periods from harvest to consumption and therefore offers fresher products with higher nutritional value.
Savino Leone, general manager of Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort, said: “We aim to use valuable resources in the most responsible way possible, and the launch of our own on-site hydroponic farm is a key step in reducing our carbon footprint and water usage, while providing the freshest produce and tastiest ingredients for our most discerning guests.”
Jumeirah on Saadiyat Island holds an ISO 21.401:2018 sustainability certification covering a wide range of operating systems including biodiversity, energy efficiency and waste management, water use and emissions.
Incorporating sustainability into business travel in the Middle East
The resort is also committed to eliminating single-use plastic in all of its operations. In addition to eliminating plastic straws and transitioning to sustainable packaging, the resort also offers guests filtered, still and sparkling water in reusable sports bottles that can be refilled at the resort's water stations.
Jumeirah says this is the only resort in the Middle East to have been awarded “Straw Free”, “Sustainability Steward” and “Ocean Champion” by global NGO The Oceanic Standard.
Last year, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai also installed a glass bottling plant operated by Swedish company Nordaq. Nordaq's patented water filtration system reportedly purifies tap water into drinking water that retains natural salts and minerals.
jumeirah.com
