Building Outside the Box: Better Gardens on UAE Luxury Outdoor Living

Khalil Zayat frames his work in terms that challenge conventional expectations. He speaks not of pools and gardens, but of spaces that transform the way people live. As Business Development Director at Better Gardens, the outdoor design and construction practice within BG Group, Zayat maintains that the outdoor environment is not an adjunct to a luxury home but its defining element. In a market now receptive to this view, he reflects on the evolution of outdoor living in the UAE, the role Better Gardens has played, and the degree to which the future of luxury residential design in the region will be determined outdoors.

To begin, what does business development entail within a luxury outdoor design practice?

The role centers on dialogue with homeowners, developers, architects, and interior designers, with anyone engaged in building, renovating, or acquiring a significant property in the UAE who has yet to consider the potential of their outdoor environment. The objective is to initiate this conversation early enough in the process for it to shape the outcome.

For many clients, the potential of their outdoor spaces remains largely unexamined. The initial brief may call for a well-appointed garden or a pool, yet the distinction between a competent exterior and one that enhances daily life is rarely recognized at the outset. Realizing this transformation demands a considered approach that draws on design intelligence, technical expertise, and a nuanced understanding of the UAE’s climate and context. The BG team’s role is to articulate this potential with clarity, providing guidance that informs rather than persuades.

The UAE luxury property market is extraordinarily competitive. What is Better Gardens’ position in that market, and what genuinely sets the company apart?

The UAE market is well supplied with capable contractors who can construct and install pools and lay all lawns. Few, however, approach the outdoor environment as a design discipline, applying the same rigor to landscape as an architect brings to a building. This is the position Better Gardens occupies, sustained by the standard of work delivered. The process starts with questions that are seldom posed by others in the field. The focus isn't solely on appearance, but on how clients live and what the space must achieve for them.

Technical capability further distinguishes the practice. Pool engineering in the UAE’s climate is a specialist discipline. The structural demands of complex pool forms, the management of water chemistry under intense heat and sunlight, and the specification of materials that endure overtime all require expertise beyond the norm in the residential outdoor sector.

An additional, often overlooked advantage is the unification within BG Group. When clients engage Better Gardens alongside BG Smart for home automation, Pedini for kitchen design, or BG Villas for property acquisition, these discussions take place within a single organization. Outdoor lighting is coordinated with home automation from the outset. Such integration is seldom achieved between independent contractors. Within BG Group, it is standard practice.

Talk us through what an extraordinary outdoor environment looks like in the UAE context. What are the elements that make the real difference?

The pool is typically the centerpiece of the outdoor environment. The distinction between an adequate pool and an exceptional one is evident to those who use it daily.

Scale and proportion are fundamental. A pool unsuited to its setting, whether too large or too small for the terrace, creates a spatial imbalance that cannot be resolved by finishing alone. Achieving the correct proportion requires both insight and discernment. Attention to detail is equally critical. The water color, determined by the pool shell finish, shapes the experience. The choice of coping material at the pool’s edge, the design of overflow or containment, and the lighting, which transforms the pool’s character after dark, all contribute to the result. The planting of outdoor spaces in the UAE is a specialist discipline that remains underappreciated in this market. The species that thrive here, maintain their quality through the UAE's seasons, and endure its summers without constant intervention are specific and require genuine botanical knowledge. When a garden is planted with species that struggle, are visibly stressed, and are poorly adapted, requiring continual maintenance simply to survive, it is apparent to both professionals and, increasingly, discerning clients.

Lighting is the third essential element. Its influence on the quality of the outdoor environment is significant relative to its cost, yet it is frequently overlooked. An outdoor space that is visually appealing by day but lacks atmosphere after dark is a missed opportunity, particularly as the most favorable months for outdoor living in the UAE coincide with extended evening use. Effective outdoor lighting is unobtrusive in operation and transformative in effect.

Excellent outdoor lighting is almost invisible in its mechanics and revolutionary in nature in its effect. It is the most underinvested element in the UAE outdoor space, and it shows.

You work with some of the UAE's most significant residential projects. What do clients at the very top of the market ask for that they might not have asked for five years ago?

Five years ago, visual impact was the primary concern at the upper end of the market. The scale of the pool and the impression of the garden from the principal rooms were central considerations. These questions remain relevant, but they are no longer the sole or even the initial focus. Clients now inquire about performance. How does the cooling system function in July? How is pool chemistry managed through the summer? What becomes of the planting during extended absences? These questions reflect a more sophisticated understanding of what it means to invest in an outdoor environment, and they require equally considered answers.

Sustainability has also become a more prominent concern. Water consumption in the UAE's landscapes is a significant issue for environmentally conscious clients. The response involves selecting species that require less irrigation, implementing systems that respond to soil moisture, and incorporating water recycling in pool systems where feasible. These are not marketing statements but design and engineering decisions that align with professional standards and client expectations.

Integration is increasingly a subject of inquiry. Clients now seek to understand not only the outdoor space in isolation but also its relationship to the wider home, its technology, interiors and overall character. BG Group is distinctively positioned to address this complexity.

Going forward, what direction will Better Gardens take as it enters its next phase?

The practice is experiencing a period of momentum. The intention is to translate this into lasting achievement rather than pursue growth for its own sake. Expansion without quality holds little appeal. The focus is on deepening design capability. Investment in botanical and horticultural expertise is a priority, as this is where the market most needs to raise its standards. Relationships with the architects and interior designers responsible for the UAE's most significant residential projects are being strengthened, as these partnerships, grounded in trust and demonstrated quality, yield the most meaningful opportunities.

The practice is increasingly engaged in larger-scale projects, including master-planned residential communities where the outdoor environment is conceived as a comprehensive landscape strategy rather than a collection of individual plots. This approach requires a distinct methodology, yet the underlying principle remains: outdoor environments should be designed with expertise, constructed with rigour, and aspire to distinction rather than adequacy. As the country attracts a more internationally sophisticated residential population, expectations continue to rise. This progression ensures the work remains challenging and the standards ever higher, which is precisely where the practice aims to be.

The UAE’s appetite for exceptional outdoor living is not going anywhere. If anything, the expectation is rising. I find that really exciting; it means the work gets more interesting.

— Khalil Zayat, Business Development Director, Better Gardens

For more information about Better Gardens and its design-led approach to luxury outdoor living, visit bettergardens.ae, email [email protected] or call 800 310.