Abu Dhabi // Since 1994, Abdullah al Maliki has been planting and maintaining trees in a public area surrounded by villas, spending a significant amount of his own money in the process.
So, understandably, he wasn't very happy when the municipality announced it would uproot the trees to build a paved playground.
He lodged a protest with the municipality, and then something very unusual happened: the officials disproved the old adage about not being able to fight city hall.
Much to his and others' delight, they listened and instructed engineers to redesign the project in a way that would save the trees.
"I spent a lot of money - almost Dh2 million (US$544,000) - for 15 years here taking care of these trees, putting them in by hand myself," said Mr al Maliki, 45.
"They want to put in a playground, but the kids like to run on the grass, not stone."
The municipal division in charge of parks had been planning a "pocket garden" in Al Dhafrah that would include a paved playground.
It is part of a citywide project meant to "expand the garden and entertainment spaces available to residents", the municipality said. The idea is to open up more than 60,000 square metres of public park space in the capital, replete with paved footpaths, benches and modern playgrounds.
But Abu Dhabi's parks and gardens directorate said in a statement that the six largest trees on the Al Dhafrah plot would now be preserved, according to a revised landscaping design.
As many as 30 saplings will also be redistributed in the green space, near Muroor Road and 23rd Street.
"A study of the problem by a committee of engineers resulted in a holistic response, by modifying the garden design to maintain the trees planted by the citizen," a municipal spokesman wrote.
The statement added: "The whole thing was redesigned, but all 30 smaller trees will be replanted again according to the landscaper's designs."
Mr al Maliki, an Emirati who has lived in the area for 30 years, personally oversaw and paid for the planting of dozens of trees on the grassy plot, which he estimates to be about 500 metres by 30 metres.
Contractors from Royal Gardens fenced off the area last month, marked trees and brought a bulldozer to the area. At the time, a foreman for Royal Gardens said the landscaping company would remove at least four trees to build one of five new "pocket gardens". Construction could take roughly eight months, said the foreman, who would not give his name.
But Mr al Maliki argued that adding more public gardens should not come at the expense of sacrificing trees.
Tony Martin, a nearby resident who works at the British Embassy, agreed. Residents walk their pets in the park at Al Dhafrah and like to sit on the lawn during cooler months, he said, noting that the green space had been a big draw for him and his wife when they moved to the neighbourhood.
"I'm from the UK, so I love grass and was brought up playing in the fields. This was one of the main reasons we came," Mr Martin, 24, said of the park. "They've started taking up some of the grass, but I have noticed that none of the trees have been uprooted. So it looks like they're working around the trees." Mr al Maliki said the contractors have now agreed to avoid the big trees.
"This is not mine, I know, but I did something very nice here," he said.
Mr al Maliki said he was inspired to plant saplings in his neighbourhood after taking trips to Germany, France and England and studying in New Hampshire.
"I saw in Europe what makes it beautiful is how they grow the trees," he said. "I want Abu Dhabi to be very nice and beautiful."
A 30-year-old Jordanian who works at the Al Dhafrah Dental Centre across from the park said he saw Mr al Maliki most mornings tending to the garden, trimming branches or watering the lawn.
"We come here, 7am, and every morning we see him," said the dental assistant, Ahmed.
"He's putting water. He has two farmers to care about the trees every day. If there is rubbish, he removes it. You can ask all the staff here and they know this man Abdullah."
mkwong@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FOLD%204
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RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Najem Al Rwasi, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Fandim, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Harbh, Pat Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
4pm: Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
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.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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