Sustainability is at the very top of the marketing agenda; a trend reflected by the latest work from The National and Havas Middle East. 

In celebration of the UAE’s national day, The National printed the country’s first ‘plantable’ paper, #TheNationalGhafPaper, created by Havas Middle East. 

The project aims to  encourage a more sustainable UAE, and as a symbol of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nahyan’s vision for a greener nation, the special edition paper launched on December 2nd to represent The Ghaf, the UAE’s national tree which the late Sheikh Zayed planted in the 70s to ‘greenify’ the desert.

The paper is made entirely of seed paper, vegetable oil and Ghaf tree seeds so that once read, users can plant the paper which will eventually grow 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.” said Mireille Puskulian, Head of Marketing and Communications at The National, “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.”

The special operation has been supported by the Give a Ghaf tree planting program and 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 competition invited potential winners to sow the seeds of the next 50 years by planting the paper, putting down roots to thrive therefore following in the footsteps of the nation’s father’s vision.