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Days after Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum called for wider planting of flame trees across Dubai, the city has rushed to embrace the season in its own way, from community giveaways and café drinks to nail art inspired by the vivid red bloom.

What began as a citywide greening initiative has quickly evolved into a cultural moment, with businesses, residents and creatives weaving the flame tree into everyday life across the emirate.

Dubai Municipality takes the lead

Following Sheikh Hamdan’s directive on Sunday, 3 May, Dubai Municipality launched a campaign to intensify the planting of flame trees across streets, parks, residential neighbourhoods, and public spaces.

But the initiative did not stop at landscaping.

As part of the “Flame Tree” season, Dubai Municipality, in collaboration with neighbourhood councils under the Community Development Authority and the Dubai Future Foundation, organised community events centred around the distribution of flame tree saplings to residents across Dubai.

Residents in areas including Al Warqaa and Al Khawaneej shared videos and photos online after spotting the sapling distribution drives in their neighbourhoods.

In a statement, the municipality said the initiative reflects efforts to “promote a culture of sustainability” and strengthen community connection through greener and more vibrant neighbourhoods.

From coffee cups to nail salons

Soon after the campaign gained traction online, businesses across Dubai began embracing the bloom in their own style.

Sakura Beauty Spa in Dubai introduced a “Flame Tree Edit”, featuring nail sets inspired by the season’s signature shades.

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“Dubai is having a little bloom moment, so obviously… we turned it into nails,” the salon wrote in a post shared on Tuesday. The collection included flame-inspired French tips and orange-toned floral designs inspired by the tree’s blossoms.

Coffee brands also joined in.

The Coffee Lab X teased followers with a post reading: “Flame Tree Season is here. Something special is cooking.”

Meanwhile, homegrown café brand PDL launched a limited-edition “Flame Tree Matcha”, describing the bloom as “a beautiful hidden presence” that quietly announces itself across Dubai from May to July.

“Stop by, sip your coffee, and take home a flame tree,” wrote Rationed, a café in Nad Al Sheba, which also joined the movement by offering customers saplings alongside drinks.

A seasonal aesthetic

The trend has also begun influencing retail and design spaces.

INDEX Design, an exhibitions and kiosk company based in the UAE, launched a “Bloom Season” promotion offering free consultations and concepts for brands looking to create flame tree-inspired pop-ups and retail kiosks.

“Dubai's streets are blooming with flame trees, and it's one of the most beautiful things this city does every summer,” the company wrote online.

The post linked the seasonal bloom to Sheikh Hamdan’s directive, adding: “A city that invests in beauty, blooms.”

More than a tree

For many residents, the flame tree has become more than just part of Dubai’s landscaping.

Blooming between May and July, the tree has long been tied to the rhythm of summer in the city, appearing just as school years end and temperatures begin to climb.

Now, the latest campaign has turned that familiar sight into something bigger, a citywide celebration that stretches from neighbourhood streets to cafés, salons and social feeds.

Across Dubai this week, the message seemed clear: flame tree season has officially arrived.

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