New afforestation project launched

Al Ain has been making continuous efforts to develop a green landscape, with hundreds of thousands of plants and trees being planted throughout the city.

The Forest Department at the Ruler's Representative Court in the Eastern Region has been playing a leading role in this and recently completed landscaping of 2,000 hectares in the Ushoush, Rudha, and Al Leseed areas.

According to Dhahir Al Dhahiri, Undersecretary of the Forest Department, the efforts are under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wants to convert the desert into lush, green land.

The aim of the afforestation is to preserve the environment and create a habitat for wildlife. He said 1,430 hectares of land would also be landscaped in new Rudha, Wakat, Hafeet Mountain, Kisourah, and Ushoush areas.

The Public Garden Section of Al Ain Municipality and Town Planning Department is also engaged in beautification and maintenance of gardens and parks everywhere in the city.

A new family garden, covering 8.7 hectares, has recently been opened in Al Salamat district.

The section is also carrying out a series of new projects at a cost of Dh95 million, including setting up new parks, digging water wells, construction of water tanks, and other landscaping work for roads and roundabouts.

Ahmed Hilal Al Dhaheri, Director of the Public Gardens Section, said that 10 new projects have been started to construct new gardens in Al Qou, beautification of an oasis in Al Yaher and gardens in Al Wagan, in addition to drilling 249 water wells in and around the city.

The rough undulating ranges in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet, the UAE's highest mountain, is taking the shape of a beautiful tourist resort under a development project.

The area is in focus for new developments of Al Ain Munici-pality and Town Planning Department, Al Ain Economic Develop-ment and Tourism Authority and the Forest Department.

The developments are a part of the Master Plan (2002-15) to make Al Ain an international tourist attraction.