The UAE is rich in agricultural pioneers but has limited arable land and endures dry, scorching summers. An Emirati farmer who sees the desert climate as an opportunity has turned his love for prickly plants into the country’s largest cactus farm.
Nestled in Ras Al Khaimah’s Asimah Valley, the sprawling farm has more than 5,000 cacti and other succulents.
Obaid Al Mazroui, 54, a retired government official, grew up in the mountainous emirate amid farms, where he learnt about agriculture from his grandfather and father.
He started collecting drought-resistant plants in 1998 as a hobby. Over the years, it developed into a passion that gave way to a thriving garden at the base of the Hajar Mountains.
In March, most of the plants begin to flower, draping the farm in violet, pink, blue, orange and yellow hues.
“Some grow date palms, some grow fruits, some grow vegetables. I grow cactus,” Mr Al Mazroui says at his farm, where he spends a couple of hours every day.
The cacti and other succulent plants belong to the saguaro, stenocereus, pilosocereus, sansevieria, agave and euphorbia families.
While most of them are kept in one of three greenhouses, about 500 grow outside in direct sunlight. One of the greenhouses is dedicated to aloe cactus plants.
Mr Al Mazroui says he has more than 50 types of the aloe plant.
The farm is full of cactus plants in various shapes and sizes. Some are taller than eight metres while others are about the size of a fist and can add a touch of green to one’s desk or bedside table.
Some have long, white and soft hairlike spines, such as the monkey's tail cactus that is grown in hanging baskets. Others have hard and spiky branching stems.
“This is agave,” he points at a plant with large leaves ending in sharp tips. “[People] produce rope from its leaves.”
Many of the farm’s plants have health and medicinal benefits. The leaves of euphorbia can help diabetes patients, he says. Aloe vera is widely used to relieve sunburn and heal wounds.
Mr Al Mazroui imports the succulent plants from countries around the world, including the US, Mexico, Egypt, India, Italy, South Africa, Mozambique, the Philippines, Indonesia and Tanzania.
The plants do not require a lot of fertiliser. They are watered by hand once in 10 days in summer and once a month during winter. Water from a reservoir, which contains fish waste, is used for irrigation.
“This is the saguaro species,” Mr Al Mazroui says as he lifts a small pot. The cactus was grown from the seed of a plant imported from Italy.
“This size is what we imported, the small size. And see there, after 10, 20 years, they become like this. They grow more than six metres,” he says, pointing at tall plants that have torn open the roof of the greenhouse.
All of the plants have been grown from the farm’s own seeds, which Mr Al Mazroui and his two helpers have carefully selected from previous harvests.
“When we put the seed [in a pot], we give water one time and we cover it for one year.”
The pots are kept covered to maintain the same temperature and humidity.
Some of the plants are offered for sale to visitors, with prices ranging from Dh10 to Dh60. Mr Al Mazroui says about 90 per cent of the farm’s plants are not available on the market.
The most popular plant with visitors is sansevieria, he says. This type is characterised by its stiff, upright, sword-like leaves.
“These plants can be placed inside, as well as outside the house. They need little sunlight and have beautiful leaves.”
Al Mazroui has his eyes set on establishing the world’s largest cactus farm. He was inspired after he visited a cactus farm in Egypt, which he believes is the biggest in the Middle East.
“The UAE always strives to be number one in everything. Then why can’t it be number one in [growing] cactus? I want to increase the number of plants,” he says.
“I want more species but I don’t have space. I hope to find some big land to make a big garden for cactus.”
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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.
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
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What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
