Palm fronds have emerged as a potential alternative to timber and other traditional building materials in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar looking to engineered palm-based boards for cladding, formwork, cabinetry, fire-rated door cores, partitions, beams, trusses, roofing, flooring, and walls.
Home to 70% of the world’s date palm trees – 84 million – developers in the region argue that the material could be an ideal fix for an area short of forests and trees. In addition, “the raw materials contribute significantly to the region waste stream, much of which is underutilised or improperly disposed of by the industry,” Construction Week said, adding that Palm Strand Boards (PSB®) – manufactured by DesertBoard – is being used in various early-stage projects, like Saudia Arabia’s NEOM project.
“In Saudi Arabia, pilot projects associated with NEOM’s regenerative design goals are reportedly exploring bio-based material applications, while Oman’s research institutions have initiated studies into palm-derived construction components. Each innovation highlights a crucial reality where circular economy models anchored in local raw materials prove practical and scalable.”
At the same time, the economic advantages of palm strand boards are compelling.
Not only do locally sourced palm and raw materials mitigate import dependency, stabilise supply chains, and lower material costs over time, but they can also negate the increase in construction costs, which are expected to rise by 3.4% in 2025 alone. This makes homegrown solutions attractive for a region dependent on imports to build massive infrastructure projects.
Last year, Wood Central reported that the Middle East was emerging as one of the fastest-growing markets for low-carbon building materials, including mass timber, plywood, and cladding made from reconstituted hardwood products.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has pledged to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2060 with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman confirming that the Gulf state would invest more than US $180 billion to decarbonise, including in greener construction materials whilst the United Arab Emirates, as part of its “UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative,” is looking to beef up its Green Building and Sustainability Standards, including Al Sa’fat (Dubai) and Estidama (Abu Dahabi)—both hybrids of Green Star, LEED, and BREEAM, which emphasise operational energy over embodied carbon and water consumption.
- To read more about engineered boards made of oil palm fronts, click here for ‘Processing and Properties of Oil Palm Fronds Composite Boards from Elaeis guineensis.’
