The Best Interior and Exterior Landscape Design Trends in UAE

Landscaping Designs in the UAE

Cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi are becoming the business hubs in the region and have seen rapid development and advancement over the time.  Due to this growth, different sectors and industries have also strived to come up with new innovations; and the landscaping industry is not an exemption.


Landscape design in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is known for its subtle touches of beauty. From living green walls to simple office plants, these cities are utilising all aspects of landscaping designs in order to make their businesses and structures stand out. The landscape contractors Dubai customers are choosing to fit out their offices or outdoor spaces have used vision and expert industry knowledge to come up with new and creative ways to make the landscape work for you. 

The more recent landscape design trends within cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have seen a shift towards sustainability and form following function. That is not to say that the style or design aspects have lessened in any way though. The region is still ahead of the curve in many respects.

Let’s look at some recent landscape design trends popping up the indoors and outdoors in Dubai.

Interior landscape design trends  in the UAE

1. Plant containers

Plant containers are one of the most versatile pieces of interior landscape designs. The concept is as simple as having some form of container to hold the soil or other planting medium for your plant. This simple concept, however, can be used in many other ways and has the ability to incorporate an important piece of infrastructure into your design scheme. 


Here we can see that a selection of ferns and other hanging plants have been housed in wicker plant containers and then stacked in a shelving unit. The use of the same size and shape of container for all the plants gives the space a beautifully uniformed feel even though there is the odd subtle touch of colour variation between the plants. The containers also allow the plants to be watered and maintained with relative ease. By using a shelving method like this, you are allowing for the whole space to be filled from floor to ceiling and in this case the corner.

This particular shelving installation has also been used to create a natural yet defining partition between two parts of the same space, and has created a whole new and functional space in the process. The ability to separate and create spaces makes this type of planting system useful in offices and other commercial spaces. This is just one example of plant containers being much more than something to hold plants, letting you have your very own plant wall. 

Here we have a far more basic use of plant containers. Although it is a simple design concept, it is powerful due to its simplicity. The concept is to utilise large blocks of colour that match the colours already present in the design scheme (in this case, black). By placing them against the wall to the side, and using the same containers inside and outside it creates an almost seamless entrance into the building and frames the foyer. While the plants bring a much-needed touch of both colour and natural freshness to the space, the containers are able to add to the décor and compliment the colour scheme. 

The plant containers are smaller at the bottom and wider at the top which creates a line to the open space above them. This is a great style of plant container for those wanting to maximise the use of spaces with high ceilings.

There are a range of plant container designs available at the top landscaping companies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai making it easier for you to be able to find the perfect type for your home or business. 

2. Hanging Plants

Landscaping companies in the UAE have been utilising hanging plants as part of their interior designs for years. The reason behind this is that hanging plants are a great way to cover a larger space with greenery, but requiring a minimal amount of planting space. There is a dazzling variety of hanging plant species available from contractors like Planters, so the best landscape design Dubai has to offer will find the perfect plant to hang in any space.


Here, we can see how hanging plants have been successfully used as a main feature in the décor of this restaurant. Long but shallow plant containers have been mounted on the wall allowing the plants to hang effortlessly over the side. Using hanging plants in this manner allows for a large section of an otherwise empty piece of wall to not only be covered up, but to become a feature. 

The use of white paint on the brick behind the planters, as well as the use of light silver plant containers allow the plants’ green colour to really shine. You can see that the simplicity of the whole installation also blends in well with the rustic and simple décor of the restaurant. This is a great example of how hanging plants are being used by hospitality businesses and commercial spaces all over the UAE.

3. Moss Walls

Recent years have seen a massive rise in the amount of plant walls Dubai and Abu Dhabi businesses have been installing indoors. The trend has seen far more creativity amongst the designs and installations as well as the types of plants used. Moss walls are a brilliantly low maintenance variety of plant wall. Of the various types of green walls Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices and retail spaces are installing, moss walls are amongst the most suitable for indoor design. 

By placing a moss wall in the space between storage cabinets or doors along a section of wall, you can break up the static lines with a necessary touch of green. Here, we see an example of a moss wall that incorporates a natural design by using a lighter shade of moss. This enables a natural component of your décor to serve as advertising or an eye-catching statement piece.

The deep green of this moss wall has the ability to add to the browns and whites of the space and bring it all together. Moss walls have allowed businesses of all kinds, from offices to retail spaces and hotels to restaurants, the opportunity to use spaces that were previously left bare. The installation of a moss wall in the right place can completely transform a room or hallway instantly.

4. Green Walls

Other types of green wall can be equally as useful when trying to create a natural space within an entrance hall or foyer. There is a wide range of plants that are perfect for planting as part of a green wall, and because many of these can be planted together, it is possible to create designs within the wall. This allows the green wall itself to become more of a piece of living art and less of a wall covering.

In the image above, we see a green wall being used to cover a large section of wall in the entrance to a hotel. Because the space is dotted with touches of varying colours, it was important for the green wall to do the same. 

Planters used a variety of plants to create a mix of not only colour but depth from the wall as well. The result is an almost interactive green wall that jumps out off the wall when you look at it and settles into the rest of the décor when you don’t. 

5. Plant Wires

Similar to the technology behind newer plant walls and based on the hanging vines found in the rainforests of our world, plant wires are free hanging, allowing plants to be hung from the ceilings of any indoor space. This new advance in landscaping design has meant that plants can now be installed into spaces where they were not able to be installed before. This of course has created an amazing opportunity for those wanting to utilise high open spaces within their hotels, restaurants, commercial or even retail spaces.


The innovation of plant wires has allowed for the use of taller spaces that before would have been impossible to plant. In the image above, we can see how a set of well-placed plant wires allows for the framing of several staircases. The clean lines of bright green really add life to the space and bring with them colour and a natural texture. The use of plant wires here allowed Planters to completely fill the space between floor and (in this case very high) ceiling with just a few installations.

The ability that plant wires have to transform large interiors of commercial spaces and hotels has meant that they are trending in the hospitality sector where floor space is often in high demand. Plant wires take up a small amount of floor space but are able to cover a large and high area. They are a great way of creating a large eye-catching feature without giving up too much of your commercial or retail floor space.  

Exterior landscape design trends in the UAE

1. The classic open lawn

The addition of a section of uninterrupted open lawn can make the most of an outdoor space. This is the foundation of most exterior landscaping projects but it can be utilised as part of the design in order to make it so much more. There are fewer aspects of landscape design that are as simple yet offer as much impact as a clean cut and well-kept piece of grass. The best landscaping companies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be able to not only highlight the lawn you choose to add to your design, but they will also be able to frame it perfectly. 


In the image above, we see an example of a large piece of open lawn which is framed by a light paving stone. Along two sides, it is framed by rows of small fig trees with the other two sides open. On one open side there is a slight step up to a seating area and a feature of a lone olive tree. Both the rows of trees and the seating area are complimented by the open green space that the lawn provides and all of it serves to complement one another. 

The landscaping design concept of the open lawn began in the home sector. The stylish simplicity of the lawn can now also be seen in the hospitality trade. Retail and commercial properties also were seen to follow to make the most of their open lawn spaces. 

2. Stepping stones

The classic lawn has proved successful in the landscaping industry. So much that designers have looked for ways to add to an area of open grass in order to make it more functional. One of these design concepts does just that, but also manages to create a whole new style aspect in the process. The use of stones placed at certain intervals so as to allow you to walk over it without touching the grass has become a design trend in itself. 

Stepping stones can be used to walk from the back gate to the house, but they can also be used to cover the space from the street to the entrance of your business or restaurant. They add a stylish line to an already classic piece of landscaping design. They also come in a wide variety of stone type, size and design to fit into any landscaping plan.


In the image above, we see a set of stepping stones that have been staggered so that the line from the gate to the house is off to one side. By using long and thin stepping stones, it creates a wider path and a larger feature within the lawn space. Using a stepping stone walk-way like this can also serve to separate one side of the lawn from the other.  In this case it serves to add much needed lines to an otherwise open space. The long stones also highlight the shape of the lawn as well as the patio area to the side.

3. Courtyard / Patio

The courtyard or patio is another classic landscaping design idea. Although its roots lay in age old techniques, the more modern landscaping trend has seen it make a massive comeback. The placement of a small or large area of paving stones in the centre or even off to the side of a large green space can be used for outdoor eating or just a calm seating area. Often seen in the gardens of large estates, the courtyard or patio can be used to create somewhat of an oasis within your green space. It can also be a place from which your clients are able to enjoy the rest of your landscaping design. 

The gardens outside this building may have been beautifully designed and immaculately kept but they would still be lacking something if they did not have this courtyard to view it from. The stone patio serves as a walkway between the garden areas but it is framed on all sides by small bushes and hanging plants. This gives it a more closed in feel and means that even though it is an outdoor space it still gives the relative comfort of a walled space.

The level of landscape design Dubai contractors like Planters are now able to deliver means that using a concept as simple as adding a courtyard or patio to a space can lead to amazing results. Create a beautiful green space outside your hotel or restaurant using a range of plants and trees and then add a patio or courtyard for your clients and customers to admire it from.

4. Framed Walkway

Stepping stones are not the only way to get from one side of your green space to the other; framed walkways are a stylish alternative. The use of trees or plants placed on either side of a walkway can have an amazing effect design wise. Because you can choose from a selection of plants and trees depending on the height you want or the design feel you require, framed walkways are perfect for home gardens but also for restaurant entrances and hotel gardens. 


While this walkway is actually made of stone slabs set in a bed of grey pebble stones instead of a green lawn, the wall of plants on either side still has the same effect. The plants or trees that run alongside the walkway serve to give it more definition and a more purposeful aesthetic. The range of plants chosen here give this framed walkway a nice and easy open feel but you could choose higher or fuller plants for a more dominating feel. 

Choosing the Best Landscape Design for your Business

As you can see, there is such a varied range of design ideas available in the market today. Whether you are looking for landscaping design for your home, restaurant, hotel or commercial or retail space, why not get the best landscape design Dubai has to offer.

Call us today and let us put our knowledge and expertise to work in creating the best use of your space possible.

Article originally published by Planters. See blog here. https://bit.ly/2YYospc