{
  "id": 19848680,
  "title": "From forest to front room: A race against time to deliver the UAE's Christmas trees",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/from-forest-to-front-room-a-race-against-time-to-deliver-the-uaes",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T17:56:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/11/13/real-christmas-tree-uae-delivery-canadian-fraser-firs/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the Indian Ocean, refrigerated containers are currently transporting freshly harvested Canadian Fraser Firs to the UAE for the holiday season. The farmers in Quebec, along with logistics teams, have put in considerable effort to map routes, negotiate insurance surcharges, and assess whether the expense is justified for this one-time import. However, ongoing issues in the Red Sea, complications around the Strait of Hormuz, increased transit times, and higher insurance costs have strained the UAE's Christmas tree supply chain, affecting both price and availability.\n\nSome UAE importers found it not worth the risk, while others decided to proceed despite the added costs. Sadi Badar, who runs Al Rifaa Nursery and Zabeel Nursery, has chosen not to import any trees for 2026, citing high prices and unreliable suppliers. Spinneys, on the other hand, has rebuilt its logistics to ensure a supply of fresh trees this year. They are sourcing trees from Copenhagen, splitting the shipment across two routes – one via road freight and the other via sea freight from Copenhagen to Mersin in Turkey, then road freight to the UAE – to bypass the Red Sea delays.\n\nChristmas Trees UAE, which has been importing trees from Quebec for 17 years, has also faced challenges. The cooler climate at harvest time in Quebec gives the trees a better chance of surviving the voyage, but this year's supply chain difficulties have put their model to the test. Co-founder Simone Jucker and partner Oleander are absorbing much of the increased costs, refusing to compromise on tree quality, freshness, or delivery reliability.\n\nConsumers are experiencing the effects of these complex logistics. Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, a Dubai-based resident, has decided to purchase a fake tree this year due to the uncertainty. For those still hoping to have a real tree, it is advised to check websites and watch for updates as the arrival dates become more certain.",
  "summary": "Right now, somewhere in the Indian Ocean, 40-foot refrigerated containers are carrying freshly harvested Canadian Fraser Firs towards the UAE. The farmers in Quebec have done their part, alongside the logistics teams who spent months mapping alternative routes, negotiating insurance surcharges and calculating whether the numbers justified pressing ahead. But the same disruption reshaping global…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}