If you’ve ever hired a “gardener” in Dubai off a WhatsApp forward and quietly hoped for the best, this one’s for you. Dubai is launching a new government-backed platform called Al Freej Gardener, and from September, residents will be able to book licensed gardening and landscaping professionals directly through the Careem app.
Al Freej Gardener On Careem Has You Covered Starting This September
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The initiative comes from Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) – Dubai, working in partnership with Careem. Translation: this isn’t a side-hustle app feature; it’s a full regulatory push to bring order to a sector that’s largely run on word-of-mouth and unlicensed labour.
What Is Al Freej Gardener?
At its core, the platform is designed to organise and regulate home gardening and landscaping services across the emirate. Residents are connected with licensed professionals, while companies and individual workers must meet legal and safety standards to even be listed. Officials are pitching it as a way to improve service quality, tighten security in residential neighbourhoods, and support Dubai’s broader push toward sustainable, well-maintained green spaces.
It’s worth remembering this sits alongside Dubai’s wider greenery ambitions; the emirate has been on a tree-planting and park-building spree lately, so a regulated gardening workforce is arguably the missing piece that keeps all that greenery alive long after the ribbon-cutting photos.
Also Read: Dubai Municipality Reveals Plans To Open 35 Parks In 2026 & Here’s All About It
Which Services You Can Book
The platform will cover a genuinely useful spread: home garden design, routine maintenance, irrigation system installation and repairs, and agricultural consultancy. All of it delivered through approved specialist companies offering tailored packages, so whether you need a one-off trim or an ongoing maintenance contract, there should be an option that fits.
Only providers that meet Dubai’s licensing and regulatory requirements get onboarded, which is really the whole point; it makes it easier for residents to spot a legitimate operator and steer clear of the unregulated ones.
Also Read: Dubai Announces 20,000-Tree Plantation Drive To Honour 20 Years Of Sheikh Mohammed
Who’s Behind The Initiative And When It Launches
The rollout follows a formal memorandum of cooperation signed by senior officials. Each entity has a distinct role: Dubai Municipality leads the project and runs awareness and training programmes. Whereas Dubai Police handles community-level safety campaigns. Then, GDRFA Dubai guides visa and work permit compliance for gardening professionals; and Careem builds and operates the actual booking platform, working alongside its partner Justlife.
The service is expected to go live in September, so there’s a bit of a wait.
Cover Image Courtesy: Dubai Municipality/FB
FAQs
When does Al Freej Gardener go live?
The service is expected to launch in September 2026, following the recent signing of the cooperation agreement.
What gardening services will I be able to book?
Home garden design, routine maintenance, irrigation installation and repairs, and agricultural consultancy.
Are the gardeners on the platform actually licensed?
Yes. Only companies and workers that meet Dubai's licensing and legal requirements will be onboarded to the platform.
