DUBAI // The rain may have kept the crowds away from the Dubai International Garden Competition Friday morning but not the die-hard gardeners.
A small number of people turned out to view the landscaping designs at Downtown Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard.
Thirteen regional and global companies are taking part in the competition, which began on Thursday and runs until Sunday.
The event, the UAE’s first landscaping competition, was created to showcase the beauty of Dubai’s gardening masterpieces to the region and the world.
It brings together landscapers, architects, designers, botanists, engineers, scientists, and property experts.
Many visitors said they came because of their interest in flora.
“I am interested in gardening and growing plants,” said Qiang Ge, a Chinese expatriate who lives in The Springs. “I have a business interest and have got new ideas for my garden now.”
A couple said they were looking for ideas for decorating their own garden. “We like gardening and are always looking at new ways to do it up,” said Mary Ann, a Filipino who has a small garden in her villa.
But not everyone turned up for the flora. Ximena Perez said she was out to enjoy a walk with her dogs.
“We just came for a Friday morning outing,” said the Mexican expatriate who lives in Downtown Dubai. “We are not really into landscaping.”
The rain dampened some outdoor furniture that had been laid out by companies as part of their landscape design and some were covered to prevent further damage.
But some people said the rain was of help rather than a hindrance.
“It is good that it has rained,” said Imran P, a civil engineer at Falcon Crest, which was looking to attract customers and construction companies with its display of landscaping, a spanish bar and jacuzzi.
“It has helped our plants. We use natural grass, wood and rocks. With less space, we can make gardens.”
They were hoping more people would visit in the next couple of days.
Akar, another company, said its specialty was growing aromatic plants for medicinal use.
“We have a green house of vegetables such as pepper, green chillies and cucumber at the Miracle Garden in Dubai,” said a company representative.
“Visitors can pick fresh and organic vegetables and we can make a meal from it.”
The competition is held under the patronage of Dubai Municipality. The organisers said they hoped visitors would enjoy a family outing and enjoy the natural beauty.
Fun City, an entertainment centre, is hosting activities for children. The attractions include the Lokrit garden village and grand floral arena stall.
pkannan@thenational.ae
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
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Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
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Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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
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Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
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Match info
Wolves 0
Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')
Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
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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
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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
