Interview with Ghanim Al-Sulaiti, Qatar’s Green Entrepreneur, Promoting Veganism and Sustainability
Meet Ghanim Al-Sulaiti, a pioneering Qatari entrepreneur celebrated for his fervent dedication to promoting veganism and sustainability. Since establishing Evergreen Organics in 2016, a venture exclusively focused on vegan cuisine, he has become a driving force in Qatar's business landscape. Currently, at the helm of Enbat Holdings, a groundbreaking vegan investment company, Ghanim oversees an array of enterprises, all committed to fostering a sustainable and health-conscious lifestyle.
His unwavering commitment to ethical business practices and eco-conscious initiatives has earned him recognition as a catalyst for positive change in Qatar.
Moreover, through collaborations with educational institutions such as the Qatar Foundation, Ghanim advocates for veganism and sustainability, emphasizing the importance of these values in educational programs.
With a degree in civil engineering from Drexel University, Ghanim embodies honesty, transparency, and minimalism in his business ethos.
Despite facing challenges, he remains resolute in his vision, inspiring fellow entrepreneurs and championing a brighter, more sustainable future for Qatar.
What initially sparked your interest in entrepreneurship, and how did you combine this with your passion for veganism?
So, my journey started back in 2013 when I was introduced to veganism through a book that I came across and I became so passionate about what I should put in my body and how I should think about what I consume and where my food is coming from. And I realized that I have to educate myself about nutrition. Then I started traveling and visiting different cultures and meeting different people and educating myself through education or through books, reading books or meeting people in this industry trying to understand more about the plant-based lifestyle and nutrition. And I became so passionate about food and I wanted to inspire people around me to adapt to this lifestyle and that's when I realized that I have to create a space which can represent my values but also what I'm trying to share with the society and the community in Qatar. And that's how I came to the decision to start my own business, Evergreen, back in 2016, which again, the idea was only to create a place to allow people to try.
You started your first business, Evergreen Organics, in 2016. Can you walk us through the challenges and successes you faced in your early entrepreneurial years?
Launching Evergreen back in 2016 definitely wasn't an easy job. However, I was completely not aware of what I was getting myself into. I was young, I was enthusiastic, I was excited and because I was fully driven in this journey, I didn't think about the risks. I didn't think about the challenges and I was just facing them as they come.
I think the biggest challenge was the awareness and the education aspect of the society in Qatar. And I'm trying to raise and trying to make the society accept this kind of dietary preference and introducing people to plant-based options and introducing people to this kind of lifestyle.
It took a lot of work, a lot of visits to schools and universities and doing a lot of workshops and lectures, trying to constantly explain the reason where it's coming from and why we're taking this move.
You now manage over 10 projects under Enbat Holdings. What is your secret to juggling multiple ventures while maintaining a focus on your core values?
I've never signed up to launch 10 businesses but every time I launched a business there is a reason of need and I've seen the need in my own businesses or in my lifestyle as a vegan and I wanted to always create options and alternatives for myself but also the people in Qatar. I believe the way I'm still able to manage all these projects which are live and real and actually running and operational is first the team that is behind me. I have a huge team of a 100+ people that are focused on delivering this with me and helping me achieve my goal. Being able to be true to my value from day 1 which is the main idea why I started this business, being passionate about veganism, being passionate about the environment, being passionate about making an impact in the society is definitely what keeps me going. Of course, I had to do a lot of education for myself, I had to kind of go back to school, which I'm currently doing my EMBA degree with HEC Paris. Trying to gain the knowledge of how to run businesses even though I've done it now for 7 years but I'm an engineer by profession so going back to school was very important for me to get the theoretical aspect of business but also being able to be open for suggestions and opinions and quick decisions and constantly evolving to improve the business is the reason I can manage all of these businesses the way I am doing it today.
Your recent efforts at the Qatar International Food Festival were instrumental in showcasing the region's vegan scene. What are your future plans for promoting and strengthening the vegan community in Qatar and in the Middle East?
I had a goal at the end of last year to focus in 2024 on the community of Qatar and to strengthen the vegan scene in Doha. We've done a lot on creating a foundation when it comes to the society here in Qatar, creating the restaurants, creating the spaces, creating the options, the alternatives, the awareness, the education.
I feel like this year I wanted to go and support the community, I wanted to foster the power that was created throughout the last 7 years. And I believe by setting up 2 vegan festivals this year already, one was on the 20th of January at the Vegan Street Festival for 1 day which was a trial to see how people would react and it was the most successful vegan festival I couldn't imagine to happen in Qatar. People loved it with so many vendors veganizing their own businesses and offering amazing options and then 15 days later, we had the privilege and honor to set up a vegan garden at the Qatar International Food Festival with 14 different concepts that are local and international. And we definitely tapped into a different audience that usually wouldn't be exposed to vegan food and healthy food and I think we took a huge risk but at the same time we believe that it's time for food festivals around the world to have a fully dedicated corners for vegan food that you can trust and you can send a message that we are trying to change.
There is work that's being done to change the norms when it comes to how people eat. And I think these are the 2 most important milestones this year that were very amazing. The future looks very bright, I feel like now we have set the standard, I think we are trying now to approach different events and major events by constantly implementing and forcing our scene to be part of the whole concepts and part of the whole experience of visitors and participants. But the vegan community definitely has grown so much in Qatar that we are on the road to make it historical one more time.
In your experience, how can individuals and organizations collaborate to create a more sustainable and compassionate world?
I believe that in Qatar specifically, we are more committed to our sustainability goals. Qatar have agreed on so many different occasions to reduce our carbon emission and to focus on making Qatar a greener city and I believe that all the organizations and the government sector and big corporation are doing so much for the environment and creating lots of initiatives that are very strong and powerful to create an impact in the society when it comes to environment and our planet. And I think what we have done in the recent years, we have tried to go and convince those corporations and organizations in Qatar to adopt a plant-based lifestyle that is more linked to lessen our CO2 emissions. And I believe that nowadays, science has proved that it's something achievable if we focus on the main contributor to emissions and we will definitely be able to create a positive change if we collaborate on creating more initiatives that lean toward a more sustainable future.
Ghanim Al-Sulaiti's entrepreneurial journey epitomizes a steadfast commitment to veganism and sustainability, transforming Qatar's business landscape along the way. From the inception of Evergreen Organics to the establishment of Enbat Holdings, Ghanim has been a driving force, advocating for ethical practices and eco-conscious initiatives. His collaborations with educational institutions and initiatives like the Qatar International Food Festival underscore his dedication to fostering awareness and appreciation for Qatar's burgeoning vegan community. As we reflect on his achievements, we extend our heartfelt wishes to Ghanim for continued success and impact, confident that his leadership will inspire positive change and contribute to a more sustainable future, both locally and globally.