The debut of the green industry trade fair Myplant & Garden Middle East in Dubai has opened a new chapter of internationalization for the green supply chains. The second edition of Myplant & Garden Middle East is scheduled for October 2026.
The event, organized by IEG Middle East and V Group, took place from November 15 to 17, 2025 at the DEC–Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, under the Patronage of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) of the United Arab Emirates, the auspices of the Embassy of Italy in the UAE, and the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and "Made in Italy" and of ITA – Italian Trade Agency Dubai.
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Myplant & Garden Middle East 2025 presented itself from the outset as an event of strong relevance for the entire Gulf region. It was officially inaugurated by H.E. Mohammed Salman Alhammadi of MOCCAE and by H.E. Marwan Ahmed Bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, in the presence of high-ranking institutional representatives, international delegations, and key stakeholders in the sector. Among the authorities in attendance were also the Ambassador of Italy to the UAE, Lorenzo Fanara, and the President of the Agriculture Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Mirco Carloni, demonstrating the centrality of the topic within the international political debate.
From the opening speech, the representative of the Ministry highlighted the urgency of accelerating sustainable development through innovation, efficient resource use, and a solid public–private collaboration. He recalled the decisive role of floriculture, nursery production, and landscape design in improving urban liveability, expanding ecological corridors, and creating climate-resilient environments, in line with the UAE Green Agenda 2030, the Dubai Urban Master Plan 2040, and regional sustainability goals.
"Our region recognizes the need to restore ecosystems, ensure resource efficiency, and build liveable cities. Myplant & Garden Middle East offers an essential platform that connects partners, technologies, and ideas to drive sustainable growth and develop resilient communities," he said.
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Inside the Dubai Exhibition Centre, over one hundred international brands (45% from the EU, 40%+ from the UAE, plus exhibitors from Turkey, China, Sri Lanka, India, Switzerland, Thailand) were distributed coherently across around seventy stands and immersive spaces on 4,000 sqm of exhibition area.
Exhibitors presented top-quality nursery and floriculture production, outdoor pots and furnishings, soil nutrients, tools and accessories, solutions and services dedicated to greenery, including for arid climates: high-efficiency irrigation technologies, plant varieties resistant to heat and salinity, smart greenhouses, and new approaches to outdoor space design.
The constant presence of government delegations, universities, research centres, and major real estate developers confirmed how the transition toward Nature-Positive cities is already underway, supported by public policies, private investments, and technological innovation.'
The numerous high-level delegations of buyers from GCC countries (Gulf Cooperation Council: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar) further reinforced the international dimension of the event, along with those from China and India.
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Many companies visited from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, showing interest in exhibiting at the next edition.
The Middle Eastern landscaping market is expected to exceed 20 billion dollars in investments by 2026, reaching 35.5 billion by 2030. The Saudi Green Initiative, with the objective of planting 10 billion trees and rehabilitating over 74 million hectares of land, represents one of the most ambitious projects: since 2021, 100 million trees and shrubs have already been planted, contributing to the regeneration of 120,000 hectares of land.
Dubai and Riyadh are leading this transformation through initiatives such as Green Riyadh—which foresees 7.5 million new trees and a reduction of urban temperatures by 2.2°C—and the Dubai Urban Masterplan 2040, which places green spaces and public areas at the center of planning.
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The United Arab Emirates will represent over 30% of the growth in the landscaping and green infrastructure market within GCC countries, supported by a pipeline of construction and tourism projects worth over 400 billion dollars.
In particular, the green component currently accounts for 8 to 12% of a masterplan's budget, and up to 18% in luxury and hospitality projects. Dubai, already endowed with more than 8,000 hectares of green areas, plans to add at least one thousand more by 2030.
Some of the major Middle Eastern businesses active in the region's landscaping industry, interviewed at the fair—Tanseeq, Desert Group, Pheladelfia Agricultural, Planters Group—have reported significant growth in demand: +40% for efficient irrigation systems, desert plant varieties used in 70% of new projects, +60% for smart systems based on artificial intelligence compared to 2023. Many innovations presented at the fair promise reductions in water consumption of up to 60% and cuts in operational costs between 20% and 30%, thanks to soil solutions, technologies, and automation.
The event also highlighted the employment impact of the sector: thousands of jobs already active across nursery production, engineering, and green management, with a forecast of an additional 10,000 new positions over the next five years.
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Conferences, workshops, and round tables explored crucial themes for the region and beyond: heat mitigation, desertification prevention, urban cooling, biodiversity restoration, biophilia, circular design, integration of green infrastructure in real estate developments, and data-supported Nature-Positive planning.
Special attention was dedicated to the potential of green infrastructures as functional elements capable of generating widespread benefits: environmental, social, and economic.
Among the participants were Andreas Kipar, landscape architect and urban planner, President of Green City Italia and member of the World Economic Forum's Global Task Force for Nature-Positive Cities; Gianluca Burchi, Research Director at CREA–Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops; Leonardo Capitanio, President of AIPH – International Association of Horticultural Producers; architect Simone Riva, also very active in the Middle East; Valerio Soldani of ITA; the institutional leadership of the Italian Regions of Piedmont and Liguria; the presidency of ASSO.IMPRE.DI.A, part of ELCA–European Landscape Constructor Association; AIAPP delegations within IFLA & IFLA Europe, International Federation of Landscape Architects; A.N.C.E.F., the National Association of Flower Exporter Traders.
Following a successful first edition, the organizers announced an expansion of the next edition (October 2026), with an even broader international presence, an enhanced conference program, and new focus areas dedicated to landscape architecture, green building, nursery market trends, and the relationship between greenery, health, and well-being.
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