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The UAE’s first-ever ‘plantable’ newspaper is published as a tribute to the UAE’S 50th jubilee
In celebration of the UAE’s 50th National Day, and in an effort to encourage a more sustainable country in line with the vision of its founders, The National newspaper and Havas Middle East have conceptualized and printed the country’s first ‘plantable’ paper dubbed #TheNationalGhafPaper.
A symbol of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nahyan’s vision for a greener nation, this National Day edition, launched on December 2, represents The Ghaf, the UAE’s national tree, which the late Sheikh Zayed planted in the 70s to ‘greenify’ the desert.
Made entirely of seed paper, vegetable oil and Ghaf tree seeds, the special edition paper is completely biodegradable and is meant to be planted in the UAE’s prosperous land, eventually growing into a Ghaf tree that can live for the next 50 years.
“The UAE has welcomed us all with open arms and supported our dreams of a better tomorrow. On the nation’s golden Jubilee, we at The National are honored to celebrate both its sustainability vision and one of its symbols, the Ghaf tree, an emblem of union, hope, life and stability, by printing the country’s first-ever plantable paper,” noted Mireille Puskulian, Head of Marketing and Communications at The National.
This laudable initiative is even more important knowing that today the Ghaf is being over-lopped and over-grazed to destruction. Ghaf groves are succumbing to urbanization and rapid infrastructure development. An accelerating decline in Ghaf trees and woodlands would imply a loss in cultural and biological heritage, therefore this special operation sparks the conservation again about the protection of one of the world's most valuable symbols of the living desert.
Moreover, this operation, which is supported by the Give a Ghaf tree planting program, offered The National’s social audience in the UAE the chance to own one of only 50 Ghaf papers through a competition on Instagram @TheNationalNews.com, calling for UAE residents to share their stories of how the UAE helped them grow their dreams.
The National’s competition invited potential winners to sow the seeds of the next 50 years by planting the paper, putting down roots of a tree known to be a great survivor as it thrives no matter the conditions--fierce temperatures, searing winds, high rates of water loss…-- and in that, following in the footsteps of the nation’s father’s great vision.
