ABU DHABI: Landscape contractor Citiscape is seeking to expand its plant provision in the UAE with plans to open three new nurseries over the next few years.
The firm, which already has a 250,000-square-metere nursery in Abu Dhabi, plans to build new nurseries in Egypt, Malaysia and Thailand, Houssam Khouri, marketing and business development manager at Citiscape told Commercial Outdoor Design.
We are now increasing our business in nursery production. We are building nurseries in Egypt, Malaysia and Thailand. This is because projects are getting bigger in the UAE, and nobody here can supply enough plants for all the projects, so we have to expand this business, he explained.
The Egyptian nursery, which will be around 250,000 square meter, will open in approximately six months, and the Thailand one, which will be around 120,000m2, in approximately one year, he added. Opening details of the nursery in Malaysia, which is being realized through a joint venture, are not finalized.
It is faster to grow palms in Egypt, Thailand and Malaysia. For example, if I want to grow a five-meter palm here, it takes maybe 20 years, whereas in Egypt or Thailand, it takes three or four years. The same is true for crops and ground cover. The growing period is faster, Khouri explained.
Combined output from the new nurseries is expected to be between four to five million shrubs and ground covers, and to have around 20,000 to 25,000 palms per year, he said.
Approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of Citiscape s annual revenue comes from its nurseries, he said.
Projects that Citiscape is working on through its Abu Dhabi nursery business include Saadiyat Island, Yas Island and Al Raha Beach.
The firm has a second nursery in the region, based in Qatar.
In addition to nurseries, Citiscape offers supply of tiles and outdoor furniture, and the supply of shade structures via a joint venture with UK-based firm NRM. -AFP
