UAE is a modern country respecting its roots and preserving natural and cultural heritage emerging as a global cultural hub. The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the 'Father of the Nation', who had, for over three decades, championed the concept of sustainable development and who spearheaded the achievement of planting 100 million trees, in addition to 48 million date palm trees in the UAE. Planting indigenous trees such as acacia, neem, date palms, ghaf and sidra, to help preserve the environment and promote a more sustainable UAE. The UAE?s tree-planting initiatives not only encourage people to learn about the local environment, but also to give back to the community by improving air quality, creating healthier outdoor spaces and restoring urban habitats for wildlife and contribute to global reforestation. Prosopis cineraria commonly known as the ghaf tree, is widely regarded as the national tree of the UAE. Evergreen tree up to 25m tall trunk un-branched for several meters branches droop, giving the canopy a rounded appearance with short triangular spines between leaves nodes bark is fissured or cracked.This hardy, evergreen species, indigenous to the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia, is drought-tolerant and a master at surviving searing winds and the fierce glare of the sun. However, rampant urbanisation and overgrazing by camels and goats are threatening its survival. A Ghaf tree may only grow 1.5m in five years. The Ghaf is considered to be good fodder for camels and wild animals, as well as as being a valuable shade tree in barren sandy deserts. Historically, the Bedouin would eat the young leaves and seed pods. Wood from the trunk used as fuel and in construction. Extracts of leaves used as eye drops extracts of crushed pods used as ear drops leaves chewed for toothache. Ashes of burnt bark mixed with water to relieve pain in fractured bones, bark is used for rheumatism and also applied to scorpion stings.

Under the leadership of Sheikh Zayed, and as part of its sustained efforts to strike a balance between economic growth and healthy environment, the UAE embarked on massive environmental programmes. The late Sheikh Zayed established the Sir Bani Yas, a natural island located 250 km southwest of Abu Dhabi, as a wildlife reserve and sanctuary. The Island was originally home to Arabia's largest wildlife reserve, decades of intensive conservation work and ecological investment, the reserve is now home to thousands of large free-roaming animals and several million trees and plants.  The UAE has gained a global reputation as a country that protects wildlife sanctuaries and promotes research for preservation of endangered species such as Arabian oryx, giraffes, ostriches, emus and antelopes, Arabian tiger, dugongs and turtles. These programmes were conceived in line with the vision of Sheikh Zayed who has always stressed the need for a sustainable and eco-friendly development that would take into account the right of the future generations to inherit a clean environment. Sheikh Zayed's environmental initiatives earned the country a respected stature. The late Sheikh Zayed had also lent his name to many environmental awards including the one million USD Zayed International Prize for the Environment and The Zayed Future Energy Prize which represents the vision of the late founding father who championed environmental stewardship.

Camel and falcons are also integral components of a sustainable desert. Many oryx were killed and Sheikh Zayed knew that something had to be done to preserve this great animal oryx that were killed (or it would risk going extinct). He then established Sir Bani Yas Island, as a protective breeding zone for oryx and other animals indigenous to the region. Animals from this programme have been used to reintroduce oryx in Jordan, where they had disappeared from over-hunting and destruction of habitat. Well planned out visions are never realized overnight - they require adequate resources, dedication and determination to see them become reality. This animal is not only as superbly suited to the desert environment as the date palm, but it also provides for almost all the further needs of its owner. The camel gives the local tribesman his mobility, to his date garden, to a distant market, a port – or for fun in traditional races. He can load his camels and take them in a caravan across terrain where no other transport could pass.

The United Arab Emirates's architecture is inspired by Islamic architecture, Arabian architecture and Persian architecture. Arabian and Persian inspired architecture is part of the expression of the local Emirati identity. For example, the "barjeel" has become an identifying mark of traditional Emirati architecture and is attributed to Persian influence. Emirati architecture reflects the traditional lifestyles and customs of the people. Building materials are simple, but well-adapted to local living and climatic circumstances. Portable tents traditionally provided shelter during tribal wanderings in the winter season. Inland more permanent houses were built of stone guss and were roofed with palm trees leaves. Fossilized coral, cut in blocks, bonded with sarooj, or a lime mixture derived from seashells, and plastered with chalk and water paste, was used extensively in coastal regions. Privacy and ventilation were important influences in the layout and are included in modern sustainable designs.

Advancing towards the future while preserving roots is very difficult but the UAE has been able to do that with their sustainable date palm production also. Throughout the UAE, the date palm is valued for its nutritional benefits, contributions to ecosystems and role in preserving traditional knowledge. The date palm is the ultimate emblem of sustainability in the UAE. Without this tree life would have been unlivable in the region. Date palms provided much-need shelter and shade for humans, animals and plants. In every household, on board ships, or when travelling in the desert, either fresh or conserved dates were and are eaten at least as a supplement to other food. Often they were the main source of nourishment along with camel milk. Today, date palms constitute 98 per cent of fruit trees in the UAE and the country is one of the world's top ten producers of dates. Nowadays large-scale propagation of the date palm in the UAE takes place in tissue culture laboratories. The plants are produced and grown to a stable stage in nurseries before they are sold to farmers. The varieties on sale are completely pest and disease-free, grow faster than normal offshoots, have a strong root system and a survival rate of close to 100 per cent.In this way the United Arab Emirates is implementing an active and dynamic conservation programmes to revitalize these oases through measures such as protection against urban encroachment, restoration of ancient irrigation systems and re-introduction of traditional agricultural management.

http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/280343/icode/

http://vision.ae/focus/urban_sustainability_a_study_in_green

http://m.arabianbusiness.com/two-uae-date-palm-oases-first-be-recognised-by-un-586226.html