ALKHOBAR, 17 December 2004 — In many places all around the world it’s that special time of year again. This is the season to get out the ax, gather up the family and go off into the forest to whack down a magnificent evergreen tree. Many city dwellers take a short cut and drop by a normally empty lot in their neighborhood, which since the beginning of December has been packed with hundreds of evergreen trees trucked in from tree farms out in the countryside. Families pick over the trees in the lot, trying to choose the one with the perfect triangular shape, fragrant pine needles and beautiful blue-green color. Then they drag their prize home, cover it with lights and a few weeks later toss it into the trash. It is depressing to see those pitiful dried out trees heaped by the curb, just waiting to be hauled off to the municipal dump.
That’s why it was a great delight this week to meet a Saudi businessman who is promoting a very simple but important message: Plant Trees. Yousef Yacoob Al-Dulaijan, the owner of Dulaijan Furniture Center in Alkhobar, has printed on his business cards: “We ask every person and every family to plant at least one tree to make the climate gentler and also so that every part of our nation is filled with the beauty of green nature.”
Al-Dulaijan is not shy about admitting that he loves trees. Now in his 70s, he is still active in his business and outspoken in promoting his environmental beliefs. Nabeel Al-Dulaijan, Yousef’s oldest son, said that even now his father still finds it interesting to spend 16 hours gardening in a day.
“The green of nature is in his heart and in his blood,” said the younger Al-Dulaijan. “On the road leading to our family home he has planted over 200 trees. He is happy to work the ground with his own hands. Being with nature is a part of his nature.”
This love of nature first manifested itself in the 1960s when Al-Dulaijan went to work in Kuwait as an inspector for Kuwait Oil Company. The family was given a house surrounded by bare earth. Every day after work Al-Dulaijan returned home to turn that land into something beautiful. He cleared the rocks and loosened the soil. Surrounding his home with greenery became nearly an obsession. In 1978 when he returned to Saudi Arabia with his family, he immediately began planting trees around his new home and has never stopped. He claims his tree planting fascination has grown stronger following visits to other lands.
“I have traveled to many countries,” Al-Dulaijan said. “In Spain I saw that even the smallest houses are surrounded by greenery. People take pride in growing beautiful things in that country. In Malaysia I saw that they love colorful, flowering plants. In Morocco, even though it is somewhat of a desert land, I came to know that families there think it is essential to use greenery to beautify their homes. Sometimes it is just plants in pots outside the homes, but beautifying the surroundings with greenery is part of Moroccan culture. I like this concept very much and think that promoting nature is an essential part of an advanced society.”
That is why Al-Dulaijan has decided to do whatever he can to help people understand the importance of planting trees.
“Saudi Arabia is a desert land so we have to try hard here to support nature,” he explained. “Planting and caring for a tree is something simple but it can have many benefits for the environment. Parents and schools should teach children the importance of gardening and protecting nature. Sometimes I see children tearing out plants and trampling trees. They are ignorant. No one has ever taught them how essential it is to care for the growing things in our environment. It is the duty of this society to teach our children how to improve the environment, not destroy it. Planting a tree outside your home is a good lesson.”
Al-Dulaijan believes that the best trees to plant are the ones that bear fruit. He is particularly fond of date palms, but he said that in this climate lemon and orange trees also do well with care.
“Fruit trees are nice to plant because when well cared for they give a very good return,” Al-Dulaijan said. “However, all trees add value to the environment so people should plant whatever they find beautiful. Planting isn’t the end of the endeavor. It’s only the beginning. Trees need water, fertilizer and care. Tree planting is a wonderful family activity and it should be encouraged all over the Kingdom.”