What is the National Tree of UAE?

Ghaf Tree

                                                                     The public will be warned against cutting or damaging about 24,000 protected trees in Dubai — mainly the UAE’s National tree Ghaf,as part of a new project to create a digital record of perennial local trees.

                                                                                                   

The first plaque, which carries the message, ‘This tree is protected by law — it is not allowed to damage, cut or relocate this tree without permission from the Public Parks and Horticulture Department,’ was fixed on a 100-year-old Ghaf tree near a mosque in Zabeel 1 area. Endangering these trees attract fines starting from Dh1000 up to Dh50,000 depending on the size and age.

      Marking the beginning of the 34th  Plantation Week, the Dubai Municipality’s Parks and Horticulture Department on Sunday launched the project by numbering the naturally-grown local trees in the urban areas of the emirate.

GPS-enabled electronic chips will be placed on these trees to record their history and monitor them in the second phase of the project, which will also see officials getting alerts when these trees are harmed or relocated.