Meet the Ghaf Tree: Comes from Arabia, Might Travel the World

Rashid Al Ghurair, an Emirati entrepreneur, is using drones to plant one million drought-tolerant Ghaf trees across the United Arab Emirates over the next two years. The end goal: utilizing tech to tackle climate-affected wildfires across the globe.

Requiring very little water to survive, the Ghaf tree – the UAE’s national tree since 2008 – is especially ideal to grow in dry regions. Not only has the evergreen tree historically provided shade to tribal communities, but its bark, wood and leaves also provide food, fuel, medicine and dyes.

“After seeing the devastating effects of the wildfires in the Amazon last year I started to wonder if there were ways to harness technology to tackle this problem,” says Al Ghurair to Gulf News. “I started talking to friends across various sectors and then we were set aside some land by the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah with which to begin trials. By continuing to experiment, fail and succeed, we will find the best way to get us to a million seeds germinated.”

His project piloted last month with 4,000 seeds planted and monitored by drones, using algorithms to determine the best locations for seeds to germinate. Al Ghurair says that, if the project proves successful, he would be happy to outsource it at no cost to wildfire-affected areas such as the Amazon and Australia.