Abu Dhabi // Since 1994, Abdullah al Maliki has been planting and maintaining trees in a public area surrounded by villas, spending a significant amount of his own money in the process. So, understandably, he wasn't very happy when the municipality announced it would uproot the trees to build a paved playground.
He lodged a protest with the municipality, and then something very unusual happened: the officials disproved the old adage about not being able to fight city hall. Much to his and others' delight, they listened and instructed engineers to redesign the project in a way that would save the trees. "I spent a lot of money - almost Dh2 million (US$544,000) - for 15 years here taking care of these trees, putting them in by hand myself," said Mr al Maliki, 45.
"They want to put in a playground, but the kids like to run on the grass, not stone." The municipal division in charge of parks had been planning a "pocket garden" in Al Dhafrah that would include a paved playground. It is part of a citywide project meant to "expand the garden and entertainment spaces available to residents", the municipality said. The idea is to open up more than 60,000 square metres of public park space in the capital, replete with paved footpaths, benches and modern playgrounds.
But Abu Dhabi's parks and gardens directorate said in a statement that the six largest trees on the Al Dhafrah plot would now be preserved, according to a revised landscaping design. As many as 30 saplings will also be redistributed in the green space, near Muroor Road and 23rd Street. "A study of the problem by a committee of engineers resulted in a holistic response, by modifying the garden design to maintain the trees planted by the citizen," a municipal spokesman wrote.
The statement added: "The whole thing was redesigned, but all 30 smaller trees will be replanted again according to the landscaper's designs." Mr al Maliki, an Emirati who has lived in the area for 30 years, personally oversaw and paid for the planting of dozens of trees on the grassy plot, which he estimates to be about 500 metres by 30 metres. Contractors from Royal Gardens fenced off the area last month, marked trees and brought a bulldozer to the area. At the time, a foreman for Royal Gardens said the landscaping company would remove at least four trees to build one of five new "pocket gardens". Construction could take roughly eight months, said the foreman, who would not give his name.
But Mr al Maliki argued that adding more public gardens should not come at the expense of sacrificing trees. Tony Martin, a nearby resident who works at the British Embassy, agreed. Residents walk their pets in the park at Al Dhafrah and like to sit on the lawn during cooler months, he said, noting that the green space had been a big draw for him and his wife when they moved to the neighbourhood. "I'm from the UK, so I love grass and was brought up playing in the fields. This was one of the main reasons we came," Mr Martin, 24, said of the park. "They've started taking up some of the grass, but I have noticed that none of the trees have been uprooted. So it looks like they're working around the trees." Mr al Maliki said the contractors have now agreed to avoid the big trees.
"This is not mine, I know, but I did something very nice here," he said. Mr al Maliki said he was inspired to plant saplings in his neighbourhood after taking trips to Germany, France and England and studying in New Hampshire. "I saw in Europe what makes it beautiful is how they grow the trees," he said. "I want Abu Dhabi to be very nice and beautiful." A 30-year-old Jordanian who works at the Al Dhafrah Dental Centre across from the park said he saw Mr al Maliki most mornings tending to the garden, trimming branches or watering the lawn.
"We come here, 7am, and every morning we see him," said the dental assistant, Ahmed. "He's putting water. He has two farmers to care about the trees every day. If there is rubbish, he removes it. You can ask all the staff here and they know this man Abdullah." mkwong@thenational.ae