Place Vendôme has launched Rooted in Resilience, a community campaign in Qatar built around the Sidra tree and the values it has long represented across the Gulf.
The initiative brings together public participation, cultural symbolism and a permanent plantation moment at the destination’s Dancing Fountains area, turning one of Qatar’s most familiar natural emblems into a living tribute to strength, unity and hope.
The Sidra Tree as a Living Symbol of Qatar
Native to the Gulf and able to thrive in difficult desert conditions, the Sidra tree carries deep meaning in Qatar as a symbol of endurance, protection and continuity.
Place Vendôme has placed that symbolism at the centre of the campaign, using the tree not simply as decoration but as a way for visitors to connect personal stories with a wider national spirit.
A Sidra tree installation at the destination invited guests to write messages and wishes, hang them on the tree, photograph the moment and share their reflections across social media.
A Plantation Ceremony at the Dancing Fountains
The campaign reached a defining moment with the Rooted in Resilience Sidra Tree Plantation Ceremony on the Canal Floor at Place Vendôme’s Dancing Fountains area.
The evening opened with a fountain show before the honourees were invited to plant their own Sidra trees and place commemorative plaques carrying their names beside them.
Place Vendôme’s leadership team also planted a larger Sidra tree collectively, positioning the destination’s role in the community as part of the same living gesture.
Three Honourees Recognised for Resilience and Impact
The ceremony honoured Dr. Yousef Al Horr, Founding Chairman of the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development, whose work has helped advance sustainable development and green building practices in the region.
It also recognised Fahad Abdulrahman Badar, the first Arab mountaineer to summit both Mount Everest and Lhotse in a single expedition, a feat that gives the campaign’s message a particularly physical expression.
Anas Abouqamer, known as TripleF, was honoured as a Qatari influencer and content creator whose public presence reflects connection with a contemporary local audience.
A Community Campaign Beyond Retail
Sanjay Mehta, Group Director of Marketing at United Developers, said the campaign reflects the belief that meaningful spaces should mirror the spirit of the people within them.
“We are part of this community, and this initiative is our way of honouring the extraordinary individuals who make it thrive,” he said, describing the Sidra tree as a fitting symbol for the message.
Carole Sabbagha, Mall Manager at Place Vendôme, said each tree planted carries a story of resilience and gives those stories a permanent home at the destination.
Rooted in Resilience continues across Place Vendôme’s social media channels, inviting the wider community to add its own voice to a campaign shaped by cultural pride and personal perseverance.
For a destination that welcomes more than 16 million visitors a year and has earned recognition including World’s Most Beautiful Shopping Centre at the UNESCO Prix Versailles and Best Mall 2024 and 2025 at the Shop Qatar Awards, the campaign reinforces a clear point: public places matter most when they give something back to the people who gather there.
