Landscaping a desert

Industry figures estimate that the GCC spend on garden and landscaping will reach US $16.4 billion (AED60.5 billion) over the next five years.

“Dubai authorities forecast that spend on landscaping projects this year would be worth US $44.9 million. Construction of parks and new golf courses in

the region for the next five years will fuel spending on gardens and landscaping,” says Eckhard Pruy, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt.

A massive beautification drive will see the stretch of land from Dubai World Trade Centre behind the skyscrapers of Shaikh Zayed Road turned into a massive garden with the Business Bay lagoon flowing into the area, after the demolition and reconstruction of old villas in Satwa. Many such upcoming projects would add a total of 1,130,000m2 of greenery to Dubai’s landscape. 

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Pruy feels that the garden and landscaping business is being driven by emerging trends and the rising popularity of garden outdoor spaces as an extension of modern homes. Growing material comforts, increasing annual household incomes and changing consumer lifestyles are resulting in increased

investments in gardening, and garden landscaping, thereby creating opportunities for growth in the industry.

The planned US $2.9 trillion Middle East spending on theme parks and other leisure and tourism projects in the next 20 years will boost outdoor living, and sales of garden and landscaping product and services, according to recent reports. These statistics were released at the Garden and Landscaping Middle

East exhibition, held in May at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“Current estimates put the region’s attractions, entertainment and leisure segment at $10 billion in annual revenues already, with annual growth at 20% to 25%. The annual growth rate for the amusement sector in
Middle East, Europe and Africa is slated to be over 5% to 2011, with much of that growth predicted to come from the Middle East,” says Pruy.

This massive spending on theme parks will boost demand for gardening equipment and products, as well as services of landscaping design companies,

and landscape artists. The spending is set to dramatically increase over the years in the Middle East, as the planned international franchises of theme parks begin construction.

There are a number of theme parks under construction in the region including Restless Planet and Universal Studios Dubailand, Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, Entertainment City in Qatar, the Warner Bros. theme park in Abu Dhabi, the Marvel Entertainment Theme Park in Dubai, the WOW RAK theme park complex in Ras Al Khaimah and the Paramount Pictures-branded theme park in Dubai.