Dubai’s green engine: 90 million plants a year grown across 36 hectares

 Dubai: Behind Dubai’s parks, streets and landscaped boulevards lies an industrial-scale operation where the city’s greenery begins life, not in soil, but in carefully controlled nurseries run by Dubai Municipality.

Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Awadhi, director of the Agriculture Department at Dubai Municipality, said the emirate’s municipal nurseries are the starting point for every green space across Dubai, guiding each plant from seed to a fully grown seedling ready for planting.

“These nurseries provide the healthy environment needed to raise plants under strict procedures that ensure quality and resilience,” Al Awadhi said, describing a process that combines traditional horticulture with advanced automation.

According to Albayan newspaper, production begins with the inspection of seeds and soil to ensure they are free from pests and disease, followed by carefully managed growing conditions and continuous care. Only once plants meet quality standards are they transferred to parks, streets and public spaces across the emirate. 

The nurseries now produce 150,000 seeds per hour and up to 15,000 plants per hour using robotic systems. Annual output exceeds 50 million seedlings, depending on demand, while total production capacity can reach 90 million plants a year through automated systems.

The scale is matched by diversity. Dubai Municipality’s nurseries cultivate 275 plant varieties, including more than 50 native species adapted to the local environment. Around 1.3 million native plants have been produced, supporting biodiversity and ecological balance.

Plant selection is guided by Dubai’s climate and urban needs. Shade trees such as ghaf and albizia line walkways, ornamental trees like flamboyant add seasonal colour, neem trees help repel insects, while shrubs, hedges and seasonal flowers add texture and colour to public spaces.

Covering 36 hectares, the nurseries supply between 600,000 and 700,000 plants annually, reflecting sustained demand from landscaping and urban greening projects.

Al Awadhi said the operation remains central to Dubai’s ambition to expand green cover while managing resources efficiently. “These nurseries are part of a vision to make Dubai a sustainable city, one that relies on innovation, efficiency and long-term environmental stewardship,” he said.