6,850 mangrove trees planted in Jebel Ali sanctuary

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) organised a campaign that included a series of activities in collaboration with the Emirates Marine Environmental Group to plant mangrove trees in the Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary and clean its beach.

The Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary is one of Dubai’s most important nature reserves.

More than 500 employees and their families, employees from some of DEWA’s subsidiaries and students from DEWA Academy participated in the activities.

Participants successfully planted 6,850 mangrove trees and removed 256 kilogrammes of plastic from the sanctuary’s beach.

“DEWA attaches great importance to supporting biodiversity, which is a key pillar of ecosystem restoration efforts. This aligns with the national initiative to plant 100 million mangrove trees in the UAE by 2030, as well as the UAE’s efforts to combat climate change, support nature-based solutions and preserve the environment along with land and marine habitats. In line with our social responsibility and our commitment to utilising state-of-the-art carbon emission reduction technologies, we are keen to promote the sustainability of mangrove forests. These forests are natural carbon reservoirs and rank among the most productive and environmentally significant ecosystems. Mangrove trees have the capacity to absorb carbon and greenhouse gases at a rate approximately four times greater than tropical forests,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

Al Tayer praised the sense of national and environmental responsibility demonstrated by the participants in the campaigns.

He emphasised that the high level of awareness regarding the importance of individual contributions to sustainable development supports ongoing efforts to preserve the environment, drive net-zero initiatives, and advance climate action.

Al Tayer had participated in a campaign to plant mangrove trees at the Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary in October 2024.

In 2023, DEWA planted more than 5,500 mangrove trees at the Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary, with the participation of 1,000 DEWA employees and their families, as well as employees from some of DEWA’s subsidiaries, and students from DEWA Academy. Participants contributed 2,080 volunteering hours. Their happiness about the campaigns has reached 92.9 percent.

DEWA has removed 3,100 kilogrammes of waste and collected eight tonnes of algae and seaweed from the shores of the reserve that will be used for scientific research in studies of marine environments.