Arada opens Shajar, a new family-friendly destination dedicated to trees at Sharjah megaproject Aljada
Arada has opened Shajar, a nursery and visitor attraction that contains 130,000 trees that are being carefully nurtured prior to being planted in Arada’s communities. Spread over a 1.6 million square foot area, Shajar, which means ‘trees’ in Arabic, is one of the largest nurseries in the UAE.
A family-friendly and educational attraction that is designed to promote the welfare of trees and boost environmental awareness, Shajar also incorporates a welcome centre, tour experience and upmarket café, all surrounded by a huge variety of trees and shrubs.
The first stop at the Shajar experience is the welcome center, which informs visitors about the benefits of trees, the effects of deforestation and biodiversity issues, while encouraging them to take action against climate change.
Visitors can then enjoy a guided tour of the full Aljada nursery where they can learn about some of the 50 different types of species being grown and the life-stages of each tree at Arada communities. Each visitor will also get an opportunity to plant their very own tree at the on-site workshop.
The Shajar experience also includes The Hut, a beautifully designed and atmospheric café surrounded by a leafy canopy of trees. Open daily from 8am, The Hut offers specialty coffee, as well as snacks, meals and a range of drinks, and is already proving popular with residents of Aljada and the wider community.
Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada, said: “Trees play a fundamental role in all our communities, and are hugely important from an aesthetic, health and environmental perspective. The Shajar initiative allows us to spread awareness of the benefits of trees, while also demonstrating the importance of effective and sustainable natural resource management.”
Each of Arada’s three communities in Sharjah – which includes the Masaar forested master development that includes 50,000 trees – as well as its upcoming projects in Dubai, feature extensive natural landscaping. This landscaping is irrigated by recycled water distributed via state-of-the-art systems that reduces the amount of water required and minimises leakge.
Arada also recently announced that it was investing in a new research and development partnership with Hungarian firm Biopolus, Sharjah Research Technology and Information Park (SRTIP) and Metito to bring a new form of sustainable water treatment to the UAE for the first time.
Shajar adds to the fast-growing list of attractions on offer at Aljada. These include Bounce, a popular trampoline park, the Zad food truck district, a large children’s adventure playground and waterplay area, and the Aljada Skate Park. Sharjah’s largest and most advanced gym, Wellfit Madar, is also scheduled to open to the public in the coming weeks. Spread over a 24 million square foot area and featuring more than 25,000 homes, Aljada is Sharjah’s largest ever project and a transformational destination for the Emirate. Aljada contains numerous residential districts, as well as extensive retail, hospitality, entertainment, sporting, educational, healthcare components and a business park, all set within a green urban master plan.
