Nabat, working with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), dispersed 10 million mangrove seeds by drone in 2026. The company says its AI methods cut restoration costs three to five times compared with conventional planting, supporting the UAE's goal of 100 million mangroves by 2030.
Arabian Business reports that Nabat, an Abu Dhabi based environmental technology company, dispersed 10 million mangrove seeds in 2026 through a partnership with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) that began three years ago. The work supports the UAE's goal of planting 100 million mangroves by 2030.
Nabat combines drone imagery, satellite data and AI models to assess site conditions. One survey team can map about 800 hectares a day with high resolution drone imagery, and autonomous drones can disperse seeds across 50 to 60 hectares a day. At the finest resolution, the AI can pick out seedlings down to the millimetre. The company has built a model covering the whole GCC coastline that identifies sites suitable for restoration, including places where natural regeneration is already happening. Nabat says these methods cut restoration costs three to five times compared with conventional approaches.
In the UAE, establishment rates of about 40 to 50 percent have been seen when sites are chosen on scientific criteria such as soil, elevation and tidal exposure. Nabat tracks seed establishment, seedling survival, vegetation cover, density and biomass.
Mehdi Ajana, Nabat's vice president of strategy, called 10 million seeds a major operational milestone but stressed that it does not mean 10 million trees, adding that he would rather report how many trees survive and thrive than how many were planted.
Source: Arabian Business
