Dubai: If you can gift a date palm tree to a first of its kind charity park coming up in Dubai, you can feed the needy with its fruits for several decades
Citizens and residents who have date palm trees at homes of farms or those who can afford to buy one for around Dh1,000 can now have the opportunity to gift up to five date palm trees to the park called Charity Oasis, officials said on Sunday.
The Dh10 million Park is a joint venture of Dubai Municipality and Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowment Consultancy (MBRGCEC).
At a press conference on Sunday, Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality urged members of the public to donate date palm trees to the park located adjacent to Mushrif Park.
“It is a 15-acre plot which can accommodate 2,100 date palm trees. We welcome the members of the public to donate date palm trees to this park.”
“It will be the first charity park in the world and will be a sustainable endowment in the name of the UAE community and a witness to the charity activities deep routed in the UAE.”
The park is expected to produce 150 tonnes of dates every year, which will be donated to the disadvantaged members of the society from next summer.
Mohammad Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi, director of the Parks and Horticulture Department, told Gulf News that date palm trees will be accepted from any person living in the UAE provided the conditions for donation are met.
“The trees will be planted under the supervision of the municipality which will take care of them and send their fruits to charity groups through MBRGCEC. Donors can water the trees if they wish to, but under our supervision.”
Yazan Awwad, senior landscape specialist and member of the project, said people can even buy a date palm tree for around Dh1000 from nurseries. “We will be displaying the names of the donors at the park. This will be something the next generations can see because date palm trees last for six to seven decades.”
Hamad Al Hammadi, secretary general of the MBRGCEC, said: “The Charity Park in Dubai is one of the initiatives that meets the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on announcing 2017 as Year of Giving and an innovative initiative launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, aimed at revitalising endowment as a community development tool.”
The municipality will start accepting applications for donations through its call centre 800900. The entry to the park will be free.
What: Donation of date palm tree to Charity Oasis Park
Where: At the park adjacent to Mushrif Park
When: From Sunday onwards
How: By applying for donation through DM call centre 800900
Preferred species of date palm trees: Al Naghal, Al Khalas, Al Khanezi, Al-Burhi and Al Hilali
Specifications for the date palm trees: Should be five to seven years old with trunk recording half to one metre
