DP World has opened the UAE’s first land-based coral exhibition for reef restoration, alongside Coral Vita, a pioneering company that grows corals to restore dying reefs, an important milestone in their strategic partnership to enhance the health and resilience of coral reefs around the world. 

Coral Vita’s land-based farms use solar-powered, closed-loop systems that mimic natural ocean conditions and optimise coral growth and survival. Coral Vita also engages local communities and stakeholders to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of its restoration projects. 

Coral Vita has established this facility to showcase a scalable restoration approach capable of accelerating the growth of native corals up to fifty times faster than in their natural habitats, while also bolstering their resilience to rising temperatures linked to climate change. DP World and Coral Vita are working in collaboration with the Dubai municipality on this pilot project. 

The facility functions primarily as a demonstration centre but has significant potential for the near future, playing a vital role in supporting regional initiatives to scale restoration solutions by building synergies with broader stakeholders, contributing to a sustainable blue economy in the UAE and globally. 

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on earth, supporting over 25% of marine life, providing food, livelihoods and coastal protection for an estimated one billion people, providing compounds for medicines, and generating billions in tourism and fisheries revenues each year. 

However, they face an unprecedented crisis due to climate change, pollution, overfishing and other threats. More than 50% of the world’s reefs have already been lost and over 90% are projected to die by 2050. 

"DP World recognises its responsibility and is actively working to prevent biodiversity degradation through our global land and water operations," said Maha AlQattan, Group Chief Sustainability Officer of DP World. “Our partnership with Coral Vita is one way we are addressing the need for collective societal action to build global resilience against climate change and biodiversity loss. This initiative represents a significant stride in DP World’s sustainability commitment, urging us to envision a future where vibrant coral ecosystems flourish as part of a larger effort to ensure the thriving health of our oceans.” 

"We are thrilled to partner with DP World to support reef restoration for the UAE and expand our global network of coral farms,” said Sam Teicher, Co-Founder & Chief Reef Officer at Coral Vita. “While we wish that our job didn’t exist, Coral Vita is proud to collaborate with local stakeholders, contribute its expertise to scaling reef restoration through diverse, resilient, and affordable corals, and create a new marine education and tourism hub in Mina Rashid, Dubai.” 

DP World and Coral Vita will continue to explore opportunities to integrate coral farming and restoration into DP World global network of ports and terminals, as well as to raise awareness and educate the public about the importance of coral reefs for our oceans and livelihoods. 

The facility will be open to the public on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11:00-4:00. It is located at Shop B, ground floor, building C5, Marina View – Mina Rashid, Dubai.