Revealed: Plans for Dubai Mangroves, the Largest Coastal Regeneration Project in the World

Leading urban planning and development company URB, based in Dubai, has proposed to develop a ground-breaking project that establishes new benchmarks for coastal regeneration in the city.

Dubai Mangroves anticipates planting more than 100 million mangrove trees over a 72-kilometer stretch to improve Dubai’s coastline while combining ecological preservation with urban development.

This proposal, which emphasizes urban resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable planning, is in line with the city’s environmental goals as well as the objectives of the Dubai 2040 Master Plan.

At present, the project is in its research phase, with six pilot design studies proposed in specific areas. Every zone will function as an example of how various infrastructure components can coexist peacefully with mangrove restoration initiatives to produce multipurpose coastal landscapes that provide ecological, recreational, and aesthetic advantages.

URB previously worked on The Loop in Dubai and the Dubai Reefs Project.

Mangroves, which are renowned for their exceptional capacity to sequester carbon, shield coastal regions from erosion, and promote marine life and food security, are at the center of the new initiative. With each tree having the ability to absorb 12.3 kg of CO2 annually, the project as a whole can sequester 1.23 million tonnes of CO2 annually, which is the same amount of CO2 that is removed from the roads each year by more than 260,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles.

Baharash Bagherian, CEO of URB, highlights the project’s vision: “Dubai mangroves is a testament of how urban and environmental innovation can work in harmony as a model for cities worldwide, demonstrating the transformative power of integrating ecological preservation with urban growth. Yet this project is much more than coastal regeneration or resilience; it’s about setting a global standard for how cities can balance the needs of the planet with the needs of the people.”

A variety of educational resources are also included in the project, such as the Mangrove Visitor Hub, which aims to inform and involve locals and tourists on the value of mangroves and the larger environmental issues that confront our world. Together with the Botanical Museum and the Nature Reserve Conservation Center, The Hub will act as a hub for advocacy, education, and research, encouraging both locals and visitors to practice environmental stewardship.