Staff at the PME regional office in Dubai undertook a session with experts from Goumbook, sorting through roots and planting seeds. One day, these seeds could grow to be mature Ghaf trees, the national tree of the UAE.
As part of Porsche’s commitment to the cause, as well as the seeding efforts of staff, 100 established Ghaf trees will be planted in a suitable location in the UAE by Goumbook’s expert team.
The Ghaf tree
The Ghaf tree is more than a national symbol. It is genuinely adored by the gulf region, indigenous to the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
It is often hailed as the hardiest plant that can grow in the unforgiving desert landscape. It flourishes in sandy undulations and gravel plains.
Being a drought-tolerant, evergreen tree, it is capable of withstanding very low rainfall. The tree traps water stored deep below the sand, its roots penetrating as deep as 30 metres in search of moisture and nutrients.
Desert dwellers welcome the site of a Ghaf tree, not only because it provides shade. Its presence indicates that there is underground water.
Give a Ghaf tree planting programme
In the early 1970s, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, embarked on a programme of ‘greening’ the desert.
In 2010, Goumbook decided to follow the vision of the country’s leadership and to raise awareness on the Living Desert and the multitude of species growing naturally in it such as the Ghaf tree.
The Give a Ghaf tree planting programme was officially launched in 2011 by Goumbook to raise public awareness about the Ghaf tree and its values, while encouraging people to plant indigenous trees and save water.
Sustainability
