Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, Qatar’s largest wellness destination and the first and only full-immersion resort in the Middle East, was recently awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification. As a globally recognised symbol of conservational achievement and leadership, the certification embodies the resorts social responsibility commitment towards sustainability in Qatar.

LEED recognises the best-in-class building strategies and practices in green building and provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. With Qatar becoming one of the fastest-growing destinations in the upcoming years, Zulal Wellness Resort, will place Qatar as the largest wellness destination in the region and aims to position itself as one the leading sustainable resorts in the Middle East. 

Commenting on the occasion, Daniele Vastolo, General Manager of Zulal Wellness Resort, said: “Achieving LEED Silver certification is a crucial milestone for us at Zulal Wellness Resort. From inception, our goal was to advance sustainability and interest around holistic living. 

Achieving this certification is more than implementing sustainable practices, it also strongly reaffirms our commitment of inspiring positive and enduring lifestyle changes and contributing towards building a healthier society.”

Set in an exclusive coastal location, Zulal Wellness Resort provides a calm surrounding in harmony with nature. To minimise the project’s impact on its pristine location, several strategies were considered during the design and construction stages in conjunction with master developers, Msherieb Properties. These include plans of minimising the environmental impact of construction with an erosion and sedimentation control plan, minimising the impact of vehicular use pollution, reducing the Heat Island Effect, limiting disruption of natural hydrology and eliminating pollution from stormwater runoff.  

“In line with Chiva-Som’s mission of creating total life enrichment through all-encapsulating experiences, we have placed the utmost importance on maintaining our integrity and social responsibility to the environment. Receiving LEED Silver certification was a paramount goal for the development of Zulal Wellness Resort and vital step in ensuring that environmentally-conscious practices across key sustainability metrics are applied and maintained,” said Ziad Ibrahim, Director of Engineering at Zulal Wellness Resort 

Zulal Wellness Resort also aims to achieve an overall 40 percent reduction in water use through water-efficient fixtures in all project components. Developing a sewage treatment package unit for efficient water landscaping, and utilizing treated wastewater for the irrigation of over 50 native and adaptive plant species, enhancing biodiversity and ecological value of the landscape.

Among their unique initiatives for sustainability, the resort features artificial seawater lagoons. Treated by ozone generators and UV disinfection lamps, making the lagoons chemical-free and creating an eco-friendly swimming experience for guests.  

ABOUT ZULAL WELLNESS RESORT

Zulal Wellness Resort is a unique wellbeing haven, brought to life by Qatar’s premier master developers, Msheireb Properties. Set to be Qatar’s largest wellness destination, and the Middle East’s first wellbeing resort, Zulal is expected to be a major tourism transformation driver, bringing the world’s attention to Qatar and the region. The resort offers guests unique services and treatments, which are based upon Islamic wellness principles and use indigenous ingredients to the region. Located in Khasooma, a private coastal location to the north of Qatar, Zulal Wellness Resort brings visitors a luxurious experience, offering the highest international standards that are inclusive of local family values. Zulal is an Arabic word which means ‘pure natural water’, offers two exclusive venues for health and wellbeing. Adults can access a wide range of therapeutic and lifestyle enhancement treatments based upon traditional Arabic and Islamic wellness principles through the destination. The Family Wellness Resort enables families to enjoy positive wellness experiences together, inspiring young children and their parents with fun, interactive activities that help them learn more about adopting a healthy lifestyle.

ABOUT CHIVA-SOM 

For more than 25 years, the company behind the award-winning Chiva-Som has been a pioneer in transformative wellness practices to global acclaim. Its commitment to an innovative, holistic approach which expertly balances mind, body and spirit, continues to this day with its flagship resort in Hua Hin, Thailand and the latest addition to the Chiva-Som family - Zulal Wellness Resort in Khasooma, Qatar.

Optimal, bespoke wellness lies at the heart of each Chiva-Som experience. With its unique synergy of indigenous traditions and evidence-based wellness, Chiva-Som partners with guests on highly personalised wellness journeys focused on complete lifestyle transformation. At the new Zulal Wellness Resort these extend to the entire family.Guests are motivated throughout their journey by knowledgeable and caring staff, who address their goals with the unique heart of Chiva-Som Hospitality.

Chiva-Som’s genuine approach to wellness extends to the wider community, with educational opportunities and global sustainability initiatives at the core of everything the brand does. 

A few recent awards include:

• Best Destination Spa’ – Condé Nast Traveller The Spa Awards 2020 (UK)

• ‘Best Coastal Operation’- Travel Daily 2019 Travel & Tourism Sustainability Awards (Australia)

• ‘1st in Best Spa’- Traveler’s World Magazine 2019 (Germany)

• ‘Top ranked Asian Spa in Top 20 Destination Spas’- Conde Nast Traveler The Readers’ Travel Awards 2018 (UK)

• ‘Top 5 Favourite al sustainability initiatives at the core of everything the brand does.

ABOUT MSHEIREB PROPERTIES

A national real estate development company and a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation established as a commercial venture to support the foundation in achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030. The company aims to enrich people’s lives and improve the overall quality of how they live, work and thrive by creating modern, innovative, and authentic developments.

Msheireb Properties partnered with industry leaders and experts in order to align the architectural lessons of the past with the latest in eco-friendly technologies, in order to employ a new approach to urban planning; one that combines traditional methods and modern technology to preserve the environment as well as the cultural identity of Qatar.

An emerging leader in sustainable development, Msheireb Properties’ new language is used to create buildings of a shared DNA, reviving local heritage and culture through a unified architectural idiom.Its signature project, Msheireb Downtown Doha, is developing a blueprint for sustainable urban regeneration. 

Msheireb Properties received ISO certification from the British Standards Institution for quality (ISO 9001:2015), environmental performance (ISO 14001:2015), occupational health and safety (BS OHSAS 18001:2007), and Risk Management Standard (ISO 31000:2009).