Lawn, ornamental and artificial grass
Three very different things get called grass here: the lawn grasses you walk on, the ornamental grasses you plant for texture, and artificial turf. Start with the kind you are after, or jump to the grass that suits your spot.
Lawn grasses
Salt tolerance decides whether a lawn survives borewell or recycled irrigation water, shade tolerance decides whether it holds up under tree canopy, and every grass here needs real summer water — none is drought-proof the way a native shrub is. Compare them below, alongside artificial turf.
| Grass | Salt | Shade | Drought | Traffic | Mowing height | Install AED/m² | Summer water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seashore paspalum | 5 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 25–50 mm | AED 35–60/m² | Water as needed rather than on a fixed timer — rolling leaf blades, a dull blue-grey tinge or footprints that stay pressed in are the signs to irrigate. As a general guide, Abu Dhabi's municipal irrigation standards call for around 20 litres/m²/day for turf-type planting in summer, tapering off outside the hottest months. |
| Bermuda grass | 3 of 5 | 1 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 15–38 mm | AED 35–45/m² | Deep, infrequent watering early morning or evening is more effective than short daily bursts — DEWA recommends watering before 8am or after 6pm to cut evaporation losses. |
| Zoysia grass | 3 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 25–50 mm | AED 40–70/m² | Water deeply once or twice a week rather than little and often; DEWA advises watering before 8am or after 6pm to reduce evaporation losses. |
| St Augustine grass | 3 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 65–100 mm | —* | Water more often than a bermuda or paspalum lawn; DEWA advises watering before 8am or after 6pm to limit evaporation losses. |
| Artificial turf | Unaffected. Synthetic fibres don't take up salt, so it's the only 'lawn' surface immune to saline irrigation water, saline soil or salt spray near a pool. | Not a factor for survival since it isn't alive, though constant direct UV fades the fibres faster over the years than a shaded install. | Not applicable — a synthetic surface, not a living plant | Very high. Doesn't wear thin, doesn't need recovery time, and holds up well to pets, kids and garden furniture. | Not applicable | AED 45–130/m² | None for growth. Regular rinsing is still worth doing in summer to settle dust, clear pet waste and cool the surface briefly before use. |
* No reliable UAE price data yet.
Varieties
Platinum TE
Premium pool-side and coastal lawns on TSE, borewell or brackish water.
Sea Isle Supreme
Sunny sites irrigated with brackish or recycled water.
SeaDwarf
Dense, closely mown lawns on saline irrigation.
Sea Isle 2000
Family lawns and sports turf on salty water, in sun or light shade.
Pure Dynasty
Large areas where seed is cheaper to establish than sod or sprigs.
Tifway 419
Hard-wearing full-sun play lawns on clean mains water.
TifTuf
Full-sun lawns where cutting water use matters.
Celebration
Family lawns wanting hybrid quality with easier upkeep.
TifGrand
Bermuda lawns with partial shade where common bermuda thins.
Princess 77
Budget full-sun lawns grown from seed on mains-quality water.
Zeon
Fine, carpet-like lawns in full sun or part shade.
Diamond
Lawns with both brackish water and shade, where zoysia is the pick.
Empire
Tough lawns on clean mains water that tolerate a coarser blade.
JaMur
Quick-covering lawns on good-quality water in light shade.
Palmetto
Part-shaded villa lawns under a light tree canopy.
Seville
Compact, tidy shaded lawns that want a finer blade.
Floratam
Open sunny lawns wanting a lush, broad-bladed St Augustine.
Sir Walter
Shaded gardens wanting a soft, low-allergy leaf.
Compare
Seashore paspalum
Paspalum vaginatum
Bermuda grass
Cynodon dactylon
Zoysia grass
Zoysia matrella
St Augustine grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum
The lawn-care year in Dubai
Best turf-laying window
Main feeding season
Autumn renovation
Peak summer heat
Winter slowdown
Best turf-laying window: Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Lay sod in the shoulder seasons so roots knit down before peak summer heat or the slower winter growth period.
Main feeding season: Oct–Feb
Low fertility needs compared with bermuda; a light feed through the cooler months is usually enough.
Autumn renovation: Oct
Dethatch, top-dress and patch bare spots rather than oversowing — paspalum's dense growth habit already crowds out winter weeds.
Peak summer heat: Jun–Aug
Handles Dubai summer well once established; watch for rolling leaf blades and footprints that don't spring back as a sign it needs water.
Winter slowdown: Dec–Jan
Growth and colour hold up better through cooler months than bermuda, though mowing frequency drops.
Not for lawns
Desert grass
Pennisetum divisum
Purple fountain grass
Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'
Lemongrass
Cymbopogon citratus
Pink muhly
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Mondo grass
Ophiopogon japonicus
Vetiver
Chrysopogon zizanioides
Lomandra
Lomandra longifolia
Pampas grass
Cortaderia selloana
No living grass
A synthetic lawn that stays green year-round with no mowing, feeding or irrigation to grow it — but it runs far hotter underfoot than real grass in Dubai's summer sun.
The catch: surface heat
The main trade-off. A 2002 Brigham Young University study measured synthetic turf surface temperatures up to about 200°F (93°C) on a 98°F day — 37°F hotter than nearby asphalt and 86.5°F hotter than natural turf at the surface. Wetting the turf cooled it sharply, from 174°F to 85°F, but it rebounded to 120°F within 5 minutes and 164°F within 20. A 2012 Penn State study of synthetic turf systems found surface temperatures routinely exceeding 150°F (66°C) under test conditions with air temperatures of only 79–85°F. No UAE-specific measurements were found, but Dubai's summer sun is at least as intense as the US test conditions these studies used, so bare feet and pets on artificial turf in peak summer are a real concern.
Choose
Kids, pets and constant foot traffic.
Where direct sun is limited for much of the day.
Coastal plots, borewell water or treated irrigation supply.
How well the lawn recovers when summer watering falls short.
Less fuss with mowing, feeding and recovery.
Where no living grass will thrive.
Artificial turf needs no water to stay green and is unaffected by salt or shade, but it runs much hotter underfoot in summer.
See artificial grassPool + garden care
From AED 500/month
Price depends on your garden's size, pool and complexity. Prices in AED, excluding 5% VAT.