If you love plants, the first thing you'll notice as you drive off Emirates Road into the luxurious Al Barari residential development in the royal enclave of Nad Al Sheba is a subtle but very clever piece of theatre.
The broad brush, mass plantings of fountain grass, tradescantia, canna and petunias that define Dubai's roadsides have been rejected in favour of a denser planting scheme that is softer, calmer, more painterly and romantic. As silver Bismarkia palms act as a foil for the gentle pinks and pale yellows of oleander, bougainvillaea, dwarf Poinciana and tecoma, you're left in no doubt that you have entered a different kind of place. By the time you arrive at Greenworks, the UAE's newest retail and wholesale nursery and landscape business, you're eager to see more.
The vision of the Emirati entrepreneur Zaal Mohammed Zaal and the product of several Zaal family businesses, Al Barari, which means "wilderness" in Arabic, is an exclusive Dh15 billion development and residential community composed of 189 multimillion dirham villas surrounded by more than 16 kilometres of naturally landscaped lakes, streams and cascades, 34 themed gardens and more than four million plants. Until recently, the estate was decidedly private - the Zaal family all live there - but thanks to Greenworks and The Farm, a self-styled eco-friendly restaurant and grocery, the public can now experience a piece of the exclusive Al Barari lifestyle.
When it comes to urban development, plants and landscape are normally treated as an afterthought, but at Al Barari, the nursery was the first thing to be established. Kamelia Zaal, the youngest daughter of the family, a garden designer and the creative director of landscape for Al Barari, explains: "Al Barari was actually born out of plants; it wasn't out of the villas. The initial concept was to start a nursery and develop plant production because my father's heart is in plants. The development then became what it is today, 80 per cent landscape and only 20 per cent built up."
Like so many of the decisions made by Zaal Mohammed Zaal, the idea that the nursery should form the core of Al Barari was born of his own personal passion, but it also made profound business sense. Not only did an in-house nursery afford the design team at Al Barari complete control over the range and quality of the plants they wanted to use, but it also resulted in huge cost savings and allowed Greenworks to build a body of experience and expertise, for which the Al Barari estate is the best advert.
"It's the care and detail that's gone into the development of Al Barari that's given us the confidence to go out into the market. Greenworks started off as a nursery, then went into maintenance on the Al Barari estate, but now it's become a turnkey," Kamelia explains. "It will design your garden, build it, maintain it and supply the plants. The idea is to make life easier for clients."
That moment has finally arrived and Greenworks is now making overtures to retail and wholesale clients alike.
The pristine shade canopies, meticulous labelling and outstanding levels of plant care and hygiene at Greenworks immediately set the business apart, and it's clear that this is a company run by people who really care and know about plants. This may actually come as a disappointment to some - there are no diversions for the casual gardener here - but for serious gardeners Greenworks's informative and no-nonsense approach to selling plants will come as a welcome relief.
The scale of the Greenworks operation is difficult to comprehend even when you see it. As I drive round the wholesale growing area with Henry Raven, the general manager of Greenworks, I repeatedly have to ask him to stop so that we can peer along seemingly endless aisles of plants. Behind the 1,800 square metres of retail nursery, there's a further 17 hectares of wholesale growing and plant storage space, most of which is under cover to keep the plants in pristine condition throughout the year. These include enormous 700-year-old olive trees, fields of tropical trees and shrubs and several paddocks of pristine lawn that are kept for the moment when they'll be turned into rolls of turf.
With the maintenance operation at Al Barari, there's no shortage of organic matter on site, but Greenworks also receives deliveries of green waste from external landscape contractors, often measured in hundreds of tonnes, and converts all of this into invaluable compost that's used either as potting compost, mulch or as a soil improver on the Al Barari estate. The idea is that the estate and the business become a closed loop in which nothing is wasted.
Over the past four years, the nursery has supplied more than four million plants to Al Barari. Over the past decade Greenworks has experimented with more than 1,800 different plant species to test for suitability in the UAE. From that list, a tried and tested planting palette of more than 700 species has been developed that Raven can now supply to the general market with confidence.
"We're now experienced enough to grow for Al Barari, and what we want are plants of quality that can be planted out without risk. This is Mr Zaal's nursery, and these are his plants and we won't let a plant leave our nursery if it isn't going to survive. If something's going to die or look awful, then it's no good for Al Barari or our customers."
The difference between the no-frills, no-nonsense practicality of Raven, the Greenworks nursery and Al Barari's other new public offering, The Farm, could not be more profound. If Greenworks represents horticulture at its most businesslike, The Farm bears the same relation to agriculture as Marie Antoinette's Le Petit Hameau did at Versailles. Muck and mud are noticeable only by their absence, and the only animals you are likely to see are the numerous small birds and dragonflies that emerge from the bountiful undergrowth.
A symphony in silver, taupe and white, The Farm boasts farm-fresh, ethically sourced produce surrounded by lush lawns, shaded eating and shisha areas, and a cantilevered terrace that overlooks a large freshwater pool and cascade. Although the formula may be familiar - similar produce has been available in Dubai for some time now - it is unusual is to see it served up in such serene and sophisticated surroundings.
Greenworks and The Farm may seem like unlikely stablemates, but both come from the vision of Kamelia's father. Remarkably, their launch only marks the completion of the first phase of the wider Al Barari development. Phase two is set to include more residences and retail, a luxury spa and even a boutique hotel. Once all of this is completed, The Farm is expected to act as a hub for the estate's social life, no doubt drawing the attention of the green-fingered and well-manicured alike.
The Greenworks sales area is open from 9am to 5pm, six days a week. For more information, contact 050 453 2760. The Greenworks office is open six days a week, from 8.30am to 5.30pm. Contact 04 374 4544.
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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