From September 2026, you can book gardening services through the Careem app in Dubai. The programme is called Al Freej Gardener, and it was announced on August 2 as a joint effort between Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). Careem is the platform running it.
The idea is simple. Every gardener and gardening company on the app has to be licensed, registered, and legally employed. You pick a service, book it through the app, and you know exactly who is coming to your house.
Most villa and townhouse residents in Dubai have been through this. The garden needs work, so you ask a neighbour for a number or hire someone you found on social media. Maybe they do a good job. Maybe they don’t show up. Either way, there is no contract, no license check, and no real way to hold anyone accountable.
There is also a security side to this. People you have never vetted are walking into your compound, sometimes without proper work permits. That has always been a grey area, and the authorities want to close it.
Al Freej Gardener puts all of that on one platform. The gardening company has a trade license. The workers have valid visas. And the booking goes through an app with a paper trail. Pretty straightforward.
Two groups, really. On the customer side, it is for anyone in Dubai with a private garden or outdoor space that needs looking after. Villa owners, townhouse tenants, people managing properties for landlords. If you have got a yard and you need someone to maintain it, this is for you.
On the business side, it is only for gardening companies that already hold valid trade licenses in Dubai. Freelance gardeners and one-person operations without a license will not be on the platform. The GDRFA will check visa and permit status for every worker, so companies that skip the paperwork are going to get filtered out early.
Four categories. Home gardening is for planting, landscaping, and setting up a garden from scratch. Regular maintenance covers the week-to-week stuff like trimming, weeding, and fertilising. If you need a drip system or sprinkler line installed or fixed, there is an irrigation category for that. And then there is agricultural consultancy, which is basically expert advice on what grows well in Dubai’s heat, how to save water, and what soil amendments you might need.
Everything comes bundled as service packages from the companies on the platform. You are not hiring a random person; you are booking through a company that went through a qualification process with Careem.
If you already have Careem on your phone, you are most of the way there. The gardening services will show up in the same app you use for rides and food delivery. No extra download.
Gardening companies register with Careem and go through a vetting process first. Once they are approved, their service packages appear in the app. You scroll through, pick what you need, and book. Careem takes care of the scheduling, payment, and customer support after that.
All the companies and workers on the platform have to follow UAE labour and safety rules. That part is not optional.
Three, and each one has a different job. Dubai Municipality handles the gardening standards. They will run training programmes and awareness sessions to make sure the work being done in residential areas follows proper horticultural and environmental guidelines. Basically, they want the gardening done right, not just done.
Dubai Police will go into residential areas with awareness campaigns after the September launch. Part of it is educating residents about the new system, and part of it is general neighbourhood security. This fits with what they have been doing all year. The police rolled out a doorstep lost-and-found delivery service not long ago, and community-level operations like this one seem to be a priority for them in 2026.
GDRFA deals with the employment documentation. Visa status, work permits, residency papers. If a gardening company wants to list on Careem, its workers need to be legally employed in the UAE. GDRFA will give guidance on what is required and flag anyone who is not compliant.
Dubai has been moving informal services onto regulated platforms for a while now. Apartment sharing and subletting got formal rules. Transport services keep getting restructured. Parking went digital.
Gardening was one of those industries that never really got organised. Lots of small operators, lots of door-to-door workers, very little oversight. The market was there, but the structure was not. Al Freej Gardener is the structure.
For the companies, it means access to a large customer base through an app millions of people already use. For residents, it means you do not have to gamble on whether the person at your door is qualified or even legally allowed to work. Both sides get something out of it.
Careem is in the process of onboarding and qualifying companies right now. The gardening category is not live in the app yet, but it will be by September. Pricing and exact service packages will show up once the companies start listing.
If you are using an unlicensed gardener at the moment, it is worth thinking about making the switch once the platform goes live. The UAE August guide on DigiFlow has a roundup of other things changing this month that you might want to keep track of.
After launch, expect Dubai Police teams in residential neighbourhoods explaining how the system works and answering questions. That is part of the rollout plan.
When do gardening services start on Careem in Dubai?
September 2026. Gardening service packages will appear in the Careem app after participating companies finish their registration and qualification.
What gardening services can I book through Careem?
Home gardening, regular maintenance, irrigation system installation and repair, and agricultural consultancy. All four come through licensed companies on the platform.
Is Al Freej Gardener available outside Dubai?
No. It is a Dubai-only programme backed by Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, GDRFA, and Careem. Other emirates are not part of it as of now.
Do the gardeners need a work visa?
Yes. GDRFA checks visa and permit compliance for all gardening professionals on the platform. Workers without proper documentation cannot list or offer services through Al Freej Gardener.
Can a freelance gardener sign up on Careem for this?
No. Only registered agricultural maintenance companies with valid trade licenses can join. Individual gardeners or unlicensed operators are not eligible.
What is Dubai Police doing in this programme?
Running awareness and field campaigns in residential areas after the launch. Their focus is on neighbourhood safety and making sure gardening operations follow the right procedures.
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