Native desert plants to Jaber Mall gardens

So, you know how most mall gardens here are just the same imported palms and trimmed hedges you see everywhere else? That’s about to change at one mall, and honestly, it’s a nice idea.

The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) is teaming up with a few companies to bring real Kuwaiti desert plants, the wild, native kind, into mall gardens. Not plants flown in from somewhere else. The actual arfaj, awsaj and rimth that grow out in the desert here.

Dr Sara Al-Otaiqi, a researcher at KISR, told Al-Rai about the project, called the “Ecological Garden”. The idea is simple: let people walking through a mall learn about Kuwait’s natural heritage without even trying, just by passing a flower bed.

So what exactly is going in at Jaber Mall?

Jaber Mall is the first stop for this project. KISR will plant native species there, with arfaj, awsaj and rimth named specifically by Dr Al-Otaiqi. These aren’t rare or exotic plants. They’re the shrubs you’d see on a drive out towards the desert, the ones that survive Kuwait’s heat and barely need watering.

Each plant will come with a smart, interactive sign. Point your phone at it and you’ll get details about the species, where it grows naturally, and why it matters environmentally. So it’s part garden, part open-air classroom, with a bit of style added to the landscaping too.

Why native plants, though?

Dr Al-Otaiqi made the point that these wild plants are actually one of the most beautiful natural features Kuwait has, even if we don’t always notice them. She’s pushing for people to start planting them in home gardens too, not just malls.

Here’s the interesting bit: these plants lose their green colour and look dried out during dry spells. But the moment rain falls, they bounce right back to life. That’s what makes them sustainable, they’re built to handle Kuwait’s climate, and they need far less water than the ornamental plants most of us plant at home.

She also called for more sidr trees and palm trees in home gardens, pointing out the shade they give and how little water they actually need compared to the benefit they provide. Her bigger message is that native plants should be part of how Kuwait plans its cities and gardens going forward, not an afterthought.

What does this mean for people in Kuwait?

If you shop at Jaber Mall, you’ll likely start noticing these changes in the garden areas soon, though a firm date for launch hasn’t been given yet. For families, it’s a small but genuinely educational thing, especially for kids who might never otherwise learn what arfaj or rimth even look like.

For anyone with a home garden, there’s a practical takeaway here too. If you’ve ever struggled to keep plants alive through a Kuwait summer because of the heat and the water bills, native species are worth a look. Lower water needs, better heat tolerance, and they recover after rain instead of just dying off for good.

It also fits into a bigger push you’ve probably noticed in other Gulf countries too, using native, low-water plants in public and private spaces instead of thirsty imported greenery.

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