Using innovative technology to recycle palm tree waste into high quality wood board items made in your area, Talah Board's sustainable company model can add to the decrease of wood board imports to the UAE. In 2015, the UAE imported around 1.25 million cubic metres of wooden board items at a total expense of AED 1.6 billion.

Geared up with a variety of patents, the company's factory in KIZAD has the capacity to produce 75,000 m3 of wooden board annually. The UAE alone generates more than 500,000 tonnes of palm waste yearly which Talah Board expects a requirement of roughly 10% to satisfy the factory's production capability. Talah Board is attending the upcoming Liwa Date Festival this year to spread out awareness on the environmental and financial sustainability of recycling palm waste to the date palm market.

Mr. Hatem Farah, Chairman of Talah Board said:

" Talah Board's business supports the UAE Vision 2021 and the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030. By sourcing our raw materials in your area and making in your area, we are adding to a circular economy through sustainable resource recovery. Our business model is one where there is a 'triple bottom line'- indicating that there is advantage in 3 major elements of sustainability: financial, ecological, and community."

The durability and strength of the fibers in palm tree waste (fronds and fruit stems) are both a commercial advantage and an environmental hindrance to the country. Dried palm waste generally gets sent out to land fills or is composted where it can take a long time to biodegrade. Although a prohibited practice, in many cases the palm waste gets burned. Burning, aside from the illegality, is harmful for the environment and creates a health and wellness problem for farming businesses. In regards to commercial advantage, Mr. Farah understood the inherent structural value and resilience of palm tree waste and established the Talah Board principle to serve the local and regional markets. Employing the services of Germany-based BINOS, GmbH, a leading plant manufacturing company for the panel board market, the needed innovation was developed. The wooden boards matter for a range of industries including: interiors, furnishings, and the building and construction market.

As a longtime resident in the UAE, I am proud of Talah Boards participation at the Liwa Date Festival. Partnering with the UAE community, we are demonstrating how we can bring modern day economic relevance to the tradition and heritage of living off the date palm, continued Mr. Farah.

Every year, the festival hosts many companies related to the date palm industry that set up stands to display their products and services, and interact with farm owners and visitors of different nationalities. The festival has kept the date palm tradition flourishing in the country for more than a decade by organizing annual exhibitions and competitions that embrace Emirati culture and heritage. This year the exhibition is spread over 20,000 square metres in the Liwa Oasis, Abu Dhabi. The event will have a souq for vendors to sell their handicrafts and products. The Liwa Date Festival has become increasingly popular over the years and is a tourist destination. The festival runs from 20th to 30th July and it is open from 4pm to 10pm.