Set on a secluded stretch of coast in Qatar, the Zulal Wellness Resort will be the world’s first centre for Traditional Arabic Islamic Medicine. Rose Dykins reports
Due to open in Qatar by summer 2021, the Zulal Wellness Resort will be a landmark wellbeing destination, the first of its kind in the Middle East.
The resort will also be the world’s first centre for Traditional Arabic Islamic Medicine (TAIM). TAIM is about taking a “360-degree” approach to healing, based on techniques from Islamic medicinal historians and herbalists, as well as mind-body therapy that encourages self-reflection.
The Zulal Wellness Resort, which is part of the Chiva-Som group, is also founded on the belief that wellness is for everyone, incorporating facilities that welcome entire families, as well as individuals and couples.
Sustainability will be a core principle of the project, in line with the values of Chiva-Som, the award-winning wellbeing company who will manage and operate Zulal. Environmentally friendly practices will prevail, and treatments will use natural ingredients derived from the desert location.
Situated in Khasooma, a private coastal location in the north of Qatar – one hour from the capital of Doha – the resort’s name, “Zulal” means “purified water” in Arabic. It reflects the rejuvenating properties of water found in the desert, which has historically been a “seed of life” for those journeying across the Arabian Peninsula.
The Zulal Wellness Resort will span more than 280,000 sqm, with cutting-edge architecture inspired by regional architecture.
The resort’s walled gardens will be scattered with ponds and water features, designed to represent the heritage of travellers in the desert seeking oasis-style shelter, and being welcomed into local villages.
The estate will also feature a dedicated family wellness resort with 120 guestrooms and suites. Parents and children will be able to experience a range of activities that will encourage younger guests to engage with the resort’s unique wellness philosophies.
Meanwhile, a separate, adjacent adults-only wellness resort with 60 suites will welcome solo guests, couples and groups.
The Zulal Wellness Resort is being developed by Qatar’s Msheireb Properties, and is expected to be a “major tourism transformation driver, bringing the world’s attention to Qatar and the region”, it was said in a statement.
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