Shajar, which means ‘trees’ in Arabic, has well and truly taken root as one of the UAE’s most successful environmental initiatives, turning over a new leaf in urban development by transforming residential communities across Sharjah and Dubai into greener, healthier living spaces.
Since its launch in 2023, the pioneering project has gone from sapling to success story, quickly becoming a cornerstone of Arada’s forest-style developments, green spaces, and wellbeing-driven communities. Established to create places that enrich, engage, and inspire, the master developer has used Shajar to put sustainability front and centre.
The green initiative aims to raise awareness of environmental challenges while encouraging responsible behaviour to safeguard the climate. By reshaping the landscape, protecting the environment, and promoting green living, the concept is helping set the pace for sustainable urban development in the UAE.
Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada, emphasized the importance of trees in all communities, stating they are crucial from aesthetic, health, and environmental perspectives. “The Shajar initiative allows us to spread awareness of the benefits of trees while also demonstrating the importance of effective and sustainable natural resource management,” he noted.
Shajar: A Shining Example
Environmental experts describe Shajar as a shining example of how thoughtful planning can transform landscapes, protect the climate, and promote greener lifestyles across the UAE. The project’s state-of-the-art nursery is home to 130,000 trees, carefully nurtured before being planted across designated residential communities — laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future.
“Arada aims to plant more than 50,000 trees annually, as all our projects rely heavily on agriculture to create forest-like environments, which are central to our long-term community vision,” Heba Ashey, Shajar Nursery Team Leader, shared during an interview. She highlighted ongoing projects such as Masaar 1, Masaar 2, and Masaar 3, which will ultimately accommodate nearly 200,000 trees in the coming two to three years.
Each of Arada’s three forested communities in Sharjah, along with its upcoming projects in Dubai, features extensive natural landscaping. Spread over a 1.6 million square foot area, Shajar is one of the largest nurseries in the UAE.
Ashey also noted the expansion of Shajar in response to the rising demand for green communities or forest-style living in the country. “We recently purchased a large plot of agricultural land in Fujairah, which boasts a beautiful climate, and began cultivating it to support our current and future projects. These projects rely on greening initiatives to contribute to the greening of the UAE, aligning with broader sustainability goals across the country,” she explained.
“Our projects have seen increased demand due to their focus on landscaping. In particular, our Masaar forest communities have together sold 7,000 homes so far, making them one of the region’s most successful urban concepts,” she added.
Deriving the Shajar Concept
Ashey believes that trees play a pivotal role in all of Arada’s developments due to their aesthetic, health, and environmental importance, forming a core part of the master planning and shaping the identity of each community. “Initially, we imported trees and purchased local trees from nurseries. Then came the idea of producing our own trees from seeds and cuttings, allowing us to control quality and species selection, gradually acclimatizing them to the local environment until we had high-quality trees adapted to the local climate to meet our needs for our future projects,” she explained.
She emphasized that trees significantly improve air quality by providing oxygen and helping to reduce dust and pollutants in the atmosphere, which is particularly important in urban and desert environments. They also protect the soil and enhance biodiversity by providing natural habitats for numerous animals and birds.
“Trees beautify cities and parks and improve urban planning by contributing to the creation of sustainable, long-lasting green spaces, reducing urban heat and improving overall livability. Furthermore, trees play a role in improving mental health and providing spaces for walking and social activities, reflecting Arada’s wider aims to help people lead happier, healthier, and more meaningful lives,” she added.
Future in Forest-Style Living
Ashey termed Shajar an important project that can help not only improve the climate but also promote green space, enhance well-being, and transform desert landscapes into environmentally friendly communities across the country. “We see the future in developing and promoting tree-lined projects that make both homes and communities exceptional places in which to live, creating unique forest-style environments that have attracted a varied community of birds and other wildlife. These forested landscapes also contribute to a reduction in temperature, helping to create cooler microclimates, leading to producing more positive energy for people while improving the climate,” she said.
“We have a diverse mix of trees, from indigenous species such as the Ghaf – the national tree of the UAE – and the Sidr, as well as importing large, giant trees from neighboring countries like Thailand, China, and Spain, ensuring a diverse range of mature species,” she noted.
“In addition, we also rely on local agriculture, using seeds and saplings to grow on our farms before sending them to our projects. We also rely on some fruit trees, which we try to plant among the large trees to protect them from the intense sun and allow them to grow well, while also enhancing biodiversity within the communities,” she added.
Recycling of Water
Ashey stated that all irrigation at Shajar nursery and across Arada’s project sites is carried out using recycled water through modern systems that reduce overall consumption, supporting efficient resource use and long-term sustainability.
Arada is also investing in a major research and development facility in Sharjah that will introduce a new model of sustainable water treatment to the UAE and the wider Middle East for the first time. This project marks a significant step forward for the region, positioning Sharjah at the forefront of innovation in water sustainability.
The development is being delivered through a joint venture between Arada, Hungarian water technology company Biopolus, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, and Metito, bringing together international expertise and regional infrastructure.
The facility is designed as a living, learning laboratory, offering a real-world environment for students and researchers to study ecological engineering and circular economy principles through hands-on application. Looking ahead, the long-term objective is to develop an enhanced “Biopolus 2.0” version of the technology while establishing Sharjah as a global hub for advanced sustainable water treatment solutions.
