Tree Care for the Middle East

Trees are a vital part of any landscape and especially so in arid climates.  With the rapid growth of cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi has come a huge volume of new landscape creation.  As these landscapes mature, new understanding of the way to care for trees is required and this is especially true of broadleaf trees.  Arboriculture as a profession is well established in the UK and elsewhere but has until now, had little presence in the Middle-East.

Physical safety is one aspect of this work: all trees in an urban setting must be safe for the close interaction that people have.  Trees create beauty, shade, evapotranspiration (cooling) plus homes and food for birds and insects. They also play a huge role in giving us our biophilic contact with nature.

Trees create a bearable outside environment through shade, evaporative cooling and temperature reduction to the urban fabric. They also play an important role in absorbing air pollutants.  With ever increasing temperatures caused by climate change, the “ecosystem services” of trees becomes indispensable in creating beautiful and liveable urban landscapes.

I survey your trees to assess them for health and form, producing detailed tree surveys & reports listing actions & recommendations

Training of local staff in correct pruning & care procedures using hand tools and chainsaw.  Also equipment recommendations.

I examine trees to assess risk to public health in accordance with ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) risk assessments.

For large, dangerous or difficult trees that need expert care, we arrange for qualified and experienced arborists to carry out works.

I train teams and supervise the preparation, lifting, replanting & irrigation of mature trees.

Selecting poor nursery stock can limit the life and health of the trees on your project.  I can source and select the best stock available, tree by tree.

There are new approaches to creating treescapes in arid regions with minimal or no irrigation and using adaptive and native species suitable for coping with climate change. these could be harvested as coppice wood, chipped for ground covering mulch and for the production of biochar for soil amendment and water retention. Vast areas could be turned into positive carbon sinks by this process.

Mark Laurence is a consulting arborist (ISA certified), chartered horticulturalist (MCIHort)  and landscape designer (MSGD), with over forty years’ experience.  He has a special interest and love of working with trees and adaptive landscapes in the Middle-East, principally in the United Arab Emirates.

Since 2010, work has included surveys on trees being lifted for replanting for the redevelopment of Umm Al Emarat park in Abu Dhabi, surveys and training of staff in the grounds of  royal palaces in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and tree consultation on historic and commercial sites. Also a wide number of consultancies, both remote and on-site for individual trees or groups, in private gardens.

Current work in 2023 includes on-going consultancy with Miral in Abu Dhabi and surveying and specifying the lifting of 100’s of mature trees for a major redevelopment.