DXB Unheard – Episode 4 “Growing In The Desert” Bulletin

“Growing in the Desert”, the fourth episode of the newly released podcast and YouTube series DXB Unheard,sees Kate meet the people managing to grow in the desert and carefully manage the city’s resources. She visits one of its many ‘vertical farms’, and goes beekeeping at a school which focuses on teaching children to engage with the environment. As one of Asia’s sunniest cities, with limited rainfall, there’s an assumption that little in the way of vegetation grows in Dubai. But if you know where to look, the green shoots are plentiful.

Hosted by broadcaster and presenter, Kate Garraway, DXB Unheard promises to uncover the hidden gems, personal triumphs, and extraordinary experiences in the cosmopolitan city of Dubai.Each of the eight episodes, which are released weekly, feature intimate interviews with remarkable individuals, where audiences can hear from Emiratis and Dubai residents who have left an indelible mark on the city.

In this episode Kate interviews: 

• Suzie Fisher, Sustainability Lead at The Arbor School,an international, ecological school based on the British curriculum and offering places in Foundation Stage 1 through to Year 11.The Arbor School takes a unique approach to educationthat is experiential, authentic and inspired by the natural beauty, human ingenuity and profound ecological and social challenges of the globe.
• Mohamed Aissaoui, Owner of My Farm Dubai, a farm in the heart of the desert dedicated to promoting sustainable and healthy living. They also offer consulting services for individuals and businesses looking to start their own urban farming projects, specializing in organic farming practices. Aissaoui represents the fifth generation of farmers in his family and has an educational background in the engineering sector.​
• Mehlam Murtaza,Executive Director of UNS Farms, a division of the Speedex Group which is revolutionizing the local produce industry with state-of-the-art vertical farms and greenhouses, providing pesticide-free, non-GMO food for families across the UAE.

Kate Garraway quotes

• “In this series I’m going to meet people that will open your eyes and your mind to another Dubai, the one that is unheard, to show you what this city and its residents are all about. It is a place where East meets West, where women can and do lead the way, where science is saving resources and selflessness is saving lives.”
• “Dubai is a city that’s sunny all year round with limited rainfall. It’s also a city on a mission –with the aim of hitting net zero carbon emissions and 100% clean energy by 2050, it’s investing in green initiatives such as one of the largest solar parks in the world, already supplying nearly ¼ of a million homes in the city.”
• Upon visiting Arbor School, Kate said:
  • “This kind of education is such an interesting way of encouraging kids to be engaged and curious with natureand their world and it seems to have a real effect.”
  • “It’s incredible to see the youngsters here just taking on that shift and attitude and you can see how they’re going to go out into the world and make their own impact in small and big ways.”
• “It’s a fine balance between the rapid growth of the city and the need to preserve the resources and protect its ecosystems. The city’s investing in projects like Dubai Reef -as part of the initiative, 20,000 purpose-built reef modules will be deployed across Dubai waters to attract and stimulate sea life. As well as organisations like the Emirates Green Environmental Group, who planted millions of mangrove trees and are helping preserve the sea turtle population.”
• On meeting Mehlam Murtaza and visiting the vertical farm: “This is so impressive. It’s got around the impossible task of growing food in this super harsh environment, and already they’re supplying so many restaurants and supermarkets. I wouldn’t be surprised if you came back here in a few months or even a couple of years, and there will be so many of these in Dubai.”

Interviewee quotes

• When asked what brought him to farming in the desert, Mohamed Aissaoui said:“I grew up on a small farm, my grandfather was a farmer. […]Of course it’s challenging because this climate is not easy, butI was an engineer. My trick is to use technologies which are safe for us and the environment, to make it happen in the desert climate.”
• When asked about their process for growing wheat in the desert, Aissaoui said, “We build the soil and everything comes from the soil.We have our own animals, we collect the green waste, we grow the food for our animals and feed them with the fresh grass. The waste is going to the compost area, and after around 8-12 months, we get this compost to feed the soil, the soil feeds the plant, the plant feeds the animals, and again.”
• When asked how vertical farming is better for the environment, Mehlam Murtaza said: “We’re actually saving water by 95% compared to traditional agriculture. We only use around 2 litres of water per head of lettuce, so we’re extremely efficient and our output per square metreis almost twice that of a traditional farm. In half the area, we’re growing twice the amount of food.”
• On the unconventional, domeclassrooms, Suzie Fisher said: “We have plenty of plants in our classrooms and we have a few free roaming animals. […]It inspires so many things. It doesn’t have to be ecoliteracy lessons per se – it’s a great environment to be in and to learn.”

Next week’s episode of DXB Unheard“A City of Humanity” (airing on Monday 10 March) will see Kate exploring some of the humanitarian efforts in the city, and discovering a community driven by the ethos of giving.