Havas Middle East and The National Ghaf Paper are celebrating the UAE’s 50th with an idea to encourage a more sustainable UAE following the vision of its founders.

The partners have created the country’s first plantable paper, #TheNationalGhafPaper. The National Day edition is a symbol of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nahyan’s vision for a greener nation. It launched on December 2 and features The Ghaf, the UAE’s national tree which the late Sheikh Zayed planted in the ‘70s to greenify the desert.

The special edition is made entirely of seed paper, vegetable oil and Ghaf tree seeds It is completely biodegradable and is meant to be planted in the UAE’s rich soil, where it will eventually grow into a Ghaf tree that can live for the next 50 years.

The initiative was supported by the Give a Ghaf tree planting program and the campaign 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 UAE has welcomed us all with open arms and supported our dreams of a better tomorrow. On the nation’s golden Jubilee, we at The National are honoured 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,” stated Mireille Puskulian, head of marketing and communications at The National.