Dubai: Abwab Real Estate, developers of the Dh6.6 billion Al Barari sanctuary project, will invest Dh462 million in a plantation nursery in Dubai, which will help add greenery to the UAE's desert landscape.

"The project, to be spread across 40,000 square feet, will be the largest nursery in the Middle East and will help the growing needs of plants that will help developers in the landscaping and beautification of their projects," Zaal Mohammad Zaal, chairman of Abwab Real Estate, told Gulf News recently.

"Everywhere you look, you see sand and not much greenery. Dubai needs more green developments as it is building hundreds of towers to maintain ecological balance.

"The nursery will meet that growing demand and will encourage developers to have more green space for a larger population to be able to live in a much better environment," he said.

The project will be announced around December this year. Zaal did not want to divulge too much information about the project, leaving it for the launch announcement.

"But it will be part of a major master development and will produce plants that will be sold in the market and to developers," he said.

Zaal's passion for greenery encouraged him to launch the Al Barari project in which roughly 330 villas, a health resort and commercial spaces will be created for nature-loving people.

Al Barari will be spread across a landscape of 14 million square feet in the Nad Al Sheba area. Prices of the villas range from Dh10 million to Dh22 million.

About 82 per cent (or 9.1 million square feet) of the land will be open green areas, a woodland, scented gardens, water elements such as lakes and streams and six themed botanical gardens. These areas will be free of any construction, while the rest will be for villas, a community centre, the health resort and walkways.

Phase one will see the construction of only 330 villas five to seven bedroom mansions with unrestricted views of landscaped waterways and the adjoining wildlife reserve.

The second phase of the project will consist of a six-star boutique hotel, a self-sustained village, which has been named Kasbah, an alternative therapy complex called Healing Haven and a nursery of plants to maintain the project in pristine condition.