News article
A hole in one for restoring coastal environments
Team members hailing from a number of Dubai golf clubs have recently teamed up to plant new mangrove trees at the Jebel Ali Marine Reserve.
Golfers from Dubai Golf, Topgolf Dubai, Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, Emirates Golf Club and Jumeirah Golf Club, led by the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), all mucked in to help.
The Jebel Ali Marine Reserve is used as a base to organise educational camps for schools, community members and corporate groups to increase awareness and understanding around environmental issues.
Currently home to more than 1.5 million mangrove plants, more than 300,000 were planted in 2023 alone. The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) goal is to plant over 100 million new mangroves along the coastline by 2040.
Mangroves are a tropical tree or shrub adapted to loose, wet soil and salt water or being periodically submerged by tides. They are able to take in extra oxygen and remove salt, which means they can tolerate conditions that would kill most plants.
“Conserving the ecosystem in the UAE is essential to longevity, and an important element of our business practices,” said Chris May, Chief Executive of Dubai Golf.
“It’s a constant learning curve for all of us. I’m proud that representatives from all our golf clubs in Dubai were present at this event to plant crucial Mangrove plants and demonstrate how important conservation is for future development.”
“Conserving the ecosystem in the UAE is essential to longevity, and an important element of our business practices."
Morea Tomasi, Director of Marine Conservation Projects at EMEG, added: “The planting of these mangrove plants is essential to the flourishing of all ecosystems in Dubai, as they absorb four times more carbon dioxide than a terrestrial plant. They are also the ideal plant to restore coastal habitats.
“The planting of the mangroves is just the beginning, small steps in the right direction can lead to huge changes to ensure a greener approach to the future of Dubai. It is very important for us to continue working with organisations such as Dubai Golf, to create a greater platform and raise awareness of the need to future-proof our coastlines.”
Additionally, EMEG’s other key projects include the monitoring and preservation of the Hawksbill Turtle species. The beaches located at the Jebel Ali Marine Reserve are protected nesting places, allowing turtles to breed without danger of foxes invading nests. Once hatched, the baby turtles are released into the wild by the EMEG team.